


Kingdom Hearts: Our Fated Steps

by Hexalys



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: And I'm A Little Scared To Write Him tbh, Axel Makes Mistakes, But He Becomes The Best Of Friends, But He Still Left Aqua In the Realm Of Darkness, But He Will Always Bring His Friends Back, But I Won't Hold That Against Him, But She's Hexerath's Sad Sack, Demyx Is Just Chillin' In The Background, DiZ Needs To Get His Priorities Straight, Donald Duck Is My Spirit Animal, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Even If He Is A Dumb-Dumb Sometimes, Gen, Goofy Is A Strange Fountain Of Wisdom, He's Also Bitter And Jealous, Hexerath Is A Bit Of A Mess, Hexerath Is Number XIII, How Are The Data Versions Of Them, I Say That But Aqua Isn't My Favorite, I'll Leave That For You To Decide, I'll Try To Give Her More To Do, I'm Still A Little Salty About The "Hayner Pence Olette" Thing, Kairi's Here Too I Guess, Larxene Dies In Castle Oblivion, Luxord Is Always Up For A Game, Marluxia Dies Too, Maybe Lexaeus?, Mean More To Him Than Axel?, Meh, Mentor Xigbar/Protégé Hexerath, Mickey Is A Badass King, No Disrespect Meant, No Dissing My Sad Boi, Original Character-centric, Riku Is An Angsty Boy, Roxas Is Kind Of A Zombie, Roxas/Xion Puppy Love, Saïx Is "Mooning" Over Subject X, So That's Neat, Tags Are Fun, Terra Is My Favorite, Ventus Is Made Of Mysteries, Vexen Gets Murdered, What Even Is Vanitas?, When You Don't Give A Damn, Which Is Why He's An Asshole In 358/2 Days, Which Isn't Soon Enough, Who Knows What Xemnas Does, Whom Roxas Only Really Knew For 7 Days, Xaldin Is Pining Over Someone, Xiggy's Having Fun, Xion Is Such A Sad Sack, Zexion & Lexaeus Die In C.O., and i love him, change my mind, frowny face, it's cute, sora is a ray of sunshine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:55:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27845605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hexalys/pseuds/Hexalys
Summary: If you were stuck inside the last video game you played, how screwed would you be? For Heather, the answer is very, seeing as she loses her heart to a few Shadows scarcely fifteen minutes in. Fortunately, she gets a second chance as a Nobody, joins Organization XIII, and even manages to makes some friends along the way.[Follows the entirety of the Kingdom Hearts games.]*FYI, the reason I'm finally posting this on AO3 is because FanFiction.net keeps jerking me around >:C
Relationships: Axel/Hexerath, Cloud/Aerith, Demyx/Hexerath (one-sided), Hexerath & Axel & Roxas & Xion, Hexerath & Disney Characters, Hexerath & Organization XIII Ensemble, Hexerath & Xigbar, Hexerath + Sora & Donald Duck & Goofy, Riku/Namine, Roxas/Xion, Saix/Subject X, Sea-Salt Quartet, Terra/Aqua
Kudos: 4





	1. Welcome To The Organization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor any of the companies and characters involved in the franchise. I do own my OC.
> 
> Okay, so I'm obsessed with Kingdom Hearts. The gameplay is great, the characters are even better, and how can you not love the ridiculously complicated storyline?! That being said, after playing Dream Drop Distance, I learned something both awesome and awful. I won't say what it was, mainly because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but know that this event is the reason for why I'm finally doing this fic. This will be an AU, not just for the OC that I'll be adding, but because I will change minor things about the plotline as well. I promise it won't be anything super major, just some tweaks here and there to help the story flow better.
> 
> The story itself will center on my OC and her interactions with the other characters. There will be no slash and I will try not to make my OC a Mary-Sue or Sue-ish in any way. Some events on certain Worlds will be expanded or redone to match the storyline better and to suit my OC's involvement. These changes don't really affect the overall Kingdom Hearts storyline, but merely goes more in depth into the Worlds in a way that the games couldn't. You may expect this fic to be epic in length as it spans over all the Kingdom Hearts games save for Birth By Sleep and Coded. That last one being excluded because I seriously disliked Coded.

* * *

It was a Heartless, massive and mighty, one meant to usher in darkness and destroy worlds.

Wide, pupil-less, glowing yellow eyes was the only visible feature behind the tentacle-like strands that twisted and shifted around its' face like snakes. The Darkside was a hulking, towering figure that took up most of the space of the jagged, floating piece of land that Sora was trapped on. He didn't have time to spare for his friends and family, although they were a constant worrying thought, causing him to glance over the edge again. Yet, all he saw was darkness. The mainland and even the ocean were lost to the same black ichor that had taken Riku and had tried to take him too.

Pushing his concerns aside was difficult, but Sora managed it as he refocused on the colossal Darkside and glared. Crouching down into a fighting stance and wielding the mysterious Keyblade, the young hero was undeterred as he charged forwards with a jumping slash, just managing to land a hit on the monster's left hand. He moved to attack again, but missed as the Darkside plunged its' fist into the ground, sending out a shockwave and creating a pit of swirling darkness that three small Shadows crawled out from. The shockwave hit Sora, causing the boy to grunt and falter.

"Oh, screw you Darkside!" A woman's voice called out, annoyance radiating from her tone. The owner of said voice pressed pause on her game, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX, and downed her now warm soda in hopes that it would re-energize her. It was two in the morning, but Heather wasn't going to let the late hour stop her from playing. Her wonderful cousin had brought over the remastered game of her childhood earlier that night, granting her the privilege to play through it first.

She resumed her game and made Sora go left, just barely dodging the small horde of Heartless that were attacking. With the Lock-On feature activated, she had Sora swing out at the closest Shadow and finished it off with a few simple strikes in order to collect some much needed Health Orbs. She returned to the Darkside, jumping up to reach its' hand and just started pressing X like crazy. The special moves and longer attacks wouldn't come until much later in the game, so she had to settle for Sora's very basic three-strike combo.

Honestly, Heather was beginning to regret not spending more time leveling up like she usually did. But she hadn't wanted to waste an hour grinding, just so that she could take Riku down without having to use the Potions she earned from beating Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus. She'd just wanted to jump straight into the storyline. To be fair, Darkside wasn't giving her too hard of a challenge, but Heather seemed to remember this battle ending a lot faster the last time she played Kingdom Hearts.

After a few more minutes of dodging and repeating her attacks on the enemy's hands, the Darkside was defeated and Sora was left desperately clutching some random debris to avoid being sucked into the darkness that would somehow magically whisk him away to Traverse Town. Setting the controller down and letting the cutscene play out, Heather yawned, tiredly rubbing at her now closed eyes, and allowed her body to completely slump into the dip of her couch. Exhaustion tugged at her insistently and, without meaning to, she felt herself drifting off for a moment.

" ** _...I've finally found you... at last..._** " A hushed voice rasped, reverberating against the very air. It was so low, and seemingly so far away, that it was practically indistinct. Heather heard nothing but a faint rumble, and yet a sudden shiver climbed its way up her spine, causing a frown to form subconsciously on her face. Lost as she was in the throes of sleep, she didn't see how the lights in her apartment began to flicker erratically or how the screen of her TV rippled like the surface of a disturbed pond. " ** _Come with me... into the Darkness..._** " A full-body shudder had Heather jerking back into consciousness, a small gasp escaping her lips.

"Feels like somebody just stepped over my grave." Staring up at the ceiling, she rubbed her arms to get rid of the chill that lingered around her and concluded she must've briefly dreamt about something unpleasant. With a heavy sigh, she forced herself to stay awake rather than just roll over and go back to sleep. Sluggishly, Heather refocused her attention onto her TV and ended up blinking in surprise at the sight of something black oozing out of her television. Her heart skipped a few beats, before subsiding back into its usual tempo. She brushed the disturbing image away by shutting her eyes and shaking her head.

"Damn, I must be more tired than I thought. I'm seeing things." She smacked her cheeks with both hands, the slight sting jolting her senses, and opened her eyes again to see that the mass of ooze was still there and growing bigger by the second. With an alarmed yelp, Heather scrambled to her feet and immediately stumbled towards the front door, only to be stopped as the black ooze suddenly shot outwards and latched itself around her waist.

"Help! Somebody he–" She was cut off as a new segment of ooze reached up to cover her lower face. She was forced to clench her jaw to keep any of the stuff from getting inside her mouth. Heather could only hope that one of the other tenants in the building had heard her scream and were rushing downstairs to investigate.

Whatever the black stuff was, her mind couldn't help but register just how weird it felt on her skin. It wasn't a liquid, although it certainly moved like one, but it wasn't exactly solid either. It was almost like a fog, one capable of being semi-solid considering she couldn't break out of its grasp. It wasn't warm or cold, which only messed with her senses even further, but it was also vibrating. She was reminded of water again, namely the ocean—like waves constantly crashing over themselves, endlessly shifting.

Like an undertow threatening to drag her deeper into its fathomless depths.

As she felt herself being pulled backwards, Heather caught sight of her iPhone and reached for it with her free hand. She gave a muffled shout of success and grasped the phone tightly. Her victory was short lived though as she was yanked roughly off the floor. Her feet left the floor entirely and her breathing stuttered as she braced herself for impact, but the inky ooze just continued to hold her aloft before reeling her headfirst towards the TV.

Heather caught one last glimpse of her apartment before everything went black.

* * *

" _ **It's been too long... partner.**_ "

* * *

' _Sometimes,_ ' Xigbar mused dully, ' _it just doesn't pay to play the right-hand man._ ' The one-eyed Nobody was currently slouched over in his chair, his left cheekbone pillowed against his knuckles while barely listening as Saïx gave his latest report on pretty much anything and everything. As per usual, Xemnas was holding his monthly "secret meetings", where they talked about the progress of the other members. Vexen would no doubt say it was an honor to be a part of such a selective discussion—Xigbar just called it boring.

"Furthermore, I suspect that Marluxia is plotting something. He and Larxene have left the Castle on numerous occasions lately and they've consistently managed to evade the Dusks I send after them." The not-really-second-in-command reported to their leader. Oh sure, Xigbar knew that the others believed Saïx as the boss's number one go-getter, but _he_ was the real Nobody Xemnas turned to when things needed to get done. Poor Saïx didn't have a clue that he was just a pawn in a much, much bigger game.

Then again, Xigbar supposed his own piece wasn't that much better. Maybe a rook? He definitely wasn't a knight. The comparison instantly rankled him. He wasn't the noble type, even if he did follow through on his duties. A bishop then, that sounded more impressive, and people never really see them coming until it's too late. As he smirked a little at that thought, Xigbar reluctantly returned to the conversation and rolled his lone eye as Saïx began to list his theories on what Marluxia could be plotting. ' _Okay, change of topic please._ '

"Ugh, give me a break." The Freeshooter groaned with exaggeration, knowing it would rile the younger Nobody. "Marluxia's been planning to stab us in the back from day one. And as for Larxene, well she's been gunning for a higher position ever since she realized where she sat on the totem pole around here." He was unable to hold back a chuckle as Saïx sent him a glare. Something must have annoyed X-face before the meeting. He usual had to throw in a few more digs to get that look.

"Very well then. Perhaps you have more pertinent information to share, Number II." The Lunar Diviner replied evenly, his usual apathetic attitude at play even as his eyes held noting but contempt.

"Hey, my job is to tail the Keyblade kid, which I've been doing." The Freeshooter replied as he held his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "In fact, just this afternoon he and the other two stooges left the Coliseum after taking down that giant three-headed mutt."

"…He defeated the Cerberus?" Xemnas asked lowly, attracting the room's attention immediately. Xigbar mentally noted that they were the first words the Superior had spoken since their little meeting had started over an hour ago. There was a slight tinge of curiosity in the question and the Freeshooter could only guess at what that meant. He'd long since given up trying to understand the motives of the other man. Xehanort had possessed a real flair for ambiguity and his Nobody proved to be just as cryptic. At this point, he supposed it hardly mattered, so he just smirked and gave a one-sided shrug.

"Well, the kid had some help from the local hero, but yeah. He's actually not doing too bad for a brat that only just got his Keyblade." Xigbar continued in a long drawl, unable to resist sending a knowing look in their leader's direction. "But then again..." He began slyly. "He's got nothing on those three." Predictably, Xemnas didn't acknowledge his reference to the last group of Keyblade wielders and the Freeshooter's smirk turned into a full-blown grin as Saïx frowned at them.

"What of Maleficent and her capturing of the Seven Princesses?" The Superior inquired instead, redirecting the conversation back to business. Xigbar inwardly sighed. He was never going to catch a break with stiffs like Xemnas and Saïx always hanging around. It was times like these that he found himself missing the old gang and his Master's levity. Not that Ira, Invi, and Gula couldn't be killjoys in their own rights, but at least Aced had been fun to poke fun at. And Ava was always—Xigbar shut his eye. It was best not to think about her. Instead, he eased back into his chair and answered the Superior's question.

"Supposedly the Heartless are closing in on another one, but the witch ain't saying who it is just yet. Not that I blame her, seeing as the kid they nabbed from Wonderland turned out to be a dud." The Freeshooter snorted at the memory of Maleficent's reaction upon discovering that the little blonde wasn't one of the Seven Lights. "Which means they're still stuck at three." Saïx, now glaring at them both, opened his mouth, no doubt to ask why the Princesses were so important once again, when a Dusk suddenly appeared below them through a Corridor of Darkness. The conversation came to a halt and Xemnas silently gestured for the Lesser Nobody to speak.

_–My liege, we have discovered kin who wanders in the Realm of Darkness._

' _A new Nobody, huh?_ ' Xigbar mused inwardly. Being the figurative eyes and ears of the Organization, he, along with Xaldin, were the ones who scouted for promising candidates in other worlds. It was strange that the new Nobody had ended up in the Realm of Darkness though. The Freeshooter had never heard of that happening before. What were the Dusks even doing in the Realm of Darkness in the first place? Xigbar cast a glance at their leader who appeared to be unaffected by this bit of news. ' _Hmm, looks like Xemnas managed to slip one by me._ ' He'd have to look into the matter later—discreetly, of course.

"You want me to check it out?" The Freeshooter asked mildly, already knowing the newbie needed to be brought in. After all, the Organization hadn't reached its' quota yet. Xemnas nodded wordlessly and Xigbar leapt down from his chair. His boots lightly clacked against the floor, knees bending to allow for a fluid landing, before he straightened out. "Alrighty, show me where you found the fresh meat." The Dusk bowed obediently before slipping through the Corridor.

He wasn't sure what to expect as he followed the Dusk's twisting form at a sedated pace, but he briefly entertained himself with thoughts on who this new Nobody was and what they might look like. Upon arriving in the Realm of Darkness, it took him a few seconds to get a good appraisal of the person in question, as they were currently being attacked by a small horde of weak Heartless. His musings, the few he'd had, didn't even come close to what he found.

The Nobody turned out to be a young woman with long, colorless brown hair pulled back into a braid. Her bangs seemed to be cut at different lengths, framing her face in a wild, somewhat spiky fashion. She was a little thing too, both in height and weight. He would have pegged her as a teenager if it weren't for her face, which was narrow and rather mature looking. Deciding that this was a good opportunity to see what she capable of fighting wise, Xigbar stood back and simply watched, staying out of sight and easily blending in with the surrounding darkness.

Her clothes were a predominant mesh of purple, black, white, yellow, and silver. On her feet were black and purple shoes with yellow straps and white highlights. They reminded him of the Keyblade kid's footwear, as they were over-proportioned to an almost comical size. White baggy cargo pants sagged a little over the bulbous shoes, adorned with a few extra pockets, and a yellow belt with a black side-pouch hung over her right hip. On her hands were long fingerless black gloves, a purple stripe going up the middle, which stopped just short of her elbows. To finish her outfit, she wore a sleeveless purple and black zip-up vest with a collar high enough to hide the lower half of her face if she ducked her head. On the back of her vest, around the area of her shoulder blades, was a large yellow star.

"Gravity!" The Nobody shouted suddenly as she swung her right arm down towards the ground in a sweeping arc. The spell activated and a sphere of black and purple energy expanded while descending upon the Heartless before sinking into the ground. The effect was immediate. The Shadows and Soldiers smacking hard against the floor, unable to get up, with a few of the weaker ones being destroyed instantly, and the girl lunged at the remaining Heartless. The Freeshooter caught a glimpse of something purple in her hands, her weapons no doubt, as she began to pick off the weighted down Heartless, making them burst into clouds of darkness.

As Xigbar carefully studied her movements, he quickly concluded that she didn't seem to have a solid fighting style. Her defense was sloppy, leaving her open for attacks, and her timing was completely off. She lashed out whenever she could and usually retreated too late, leaving her to take the tail-end of an attack. Her footwork was awful too, but she at least seemed to know her own limitations and used her magic to her advantage. The latter was the sign of a tactical mind, which somewhat compensated for her obvious lack of skill.

' _I suppose the little minx isn't doing too bad._ ' Xigbar mentally conceded. He continued to study the fight for several more minutes as the group of Heartless was slowly taken down, until only one enemy stood about ten feet away from the Nobody. As if finally realizing that it was in over its head, the Soldier made a run for it.

"Magnet." She called out flatly as she flung both hands out after the retreating Heartless, where purple light outlined its body, before reeling her hands in. The Heartless stumbled before it was suddenly zooming towards the new Nobody, its limbs flailing wildly in an attempt to grab onto something. She stood in place, knees bent, her right arm drawing back in preparation for a powerful punch. The collision between Heartless and weapon looked brutal as purple plunged through the Soldier's torso where it dissolved into a formless plume of darkness. Victorious, the Nobody panted heavily and braced her hands on her knees, clearly exhausted from the fight.

From what Xigbar could tell, there hadn't been that many Heartless to begin with, maybe twenty at the most, and they'd only been a mixture of Shadows and Soldiers. Her combat skills weren't good, but they weren't exactly dreadful either, just unrefined. ' _She must be relatively new to fighting then._ ' The Freeshooter deduced as he took in her worn state. He smirked, knowing that the Organization would toughen her up soon enough. ' _I wonder which poor sap will get stuck training her?_ '

Xigbar clapped his hands to announce his presence as he approached her, clearly startling the younger Nobody, and held himself in friendly manner as she turned towards him with her fists raised. Now able to make out the smaller details, he noticed a few things he couldn't see before.

He recognized the woman's weapons as a pair of spiked knuckles, albeit with the same flair all the Organization's weapons seemed to possess. The metal guards were much thick, designed to better protect her fingers and deal out more damage. The four pronged spikes were silver and shaped like the upper part of the Organization's sigil. The main body of the weapons were purple, the same shade throughout her outfit, but the coloring faded to white towards the grips, which were a solid black. On both sides of the grips were protruding silver accessories that looked like the bottom half of the sigil, likely not for dealing damage, though he didn't doubt that they'd hurt, but existed more so for aesthetics.

The Nobody was definitely a close-range fighter, which was surprising for her small build, but he imagined speed would be the driving force behind her attacks, not strength. Speaking of her size, she really was short. He'd put her at maybe 5'3", and that was him being generous. Her body type was also very thin and lacking any defined muscles from what he could see. Her skin tone was just a few shades shy of being pale. However, it was her eyes that grabbed his attention the most. They were a vivid red color, crimson, if he had to identify them—which he would because stick-in-the-mud-Saïx would want a report later. ' _Don't think I've ever seen eyes like hers before._ ' They were pretty he supposed, but kind of unnerving, especially since she hadn't blinked yet.

"You can relax slugger, I'm on your side." Xigbar said when the younger Nobody didn't show any signs of letting her guard down. She studied him for a few seconds longer before shaking her head, making some of the more unruly bangs flop against her face while her long braid swung lightly from side to side.

"...If that's true, then why didn't you lend a hand?" She asked dully while raising a narrow eyebrow in an awkward manner. Xigbar, an old player at the recruitment game, recognized the telltale signs that this girl had indeed only lost her heart recently. Her tone lacked any form of emotion and her facial reactions were much too stiff. Good, the fresher they were, the easier they were to manipulate. Smirking slightly, the Freeshooter shrugged his shoulders.

"You looked like you were handling things well enough." He replied in his usual laidback demeanor to put her at ease. "Besides, I had to make sure that you had the right stuff, ya know?" He abruptly switched his voice to a more serious pitch. "I mean, we don't let just anyone without a heart join the Organization." Xigbar's face broke into a wide smile as she took a small step backwards. She didn't look afraid or even wary, but she didn't need feelings for this. A person's survival instincts were more a physical reaction than an emotional one.

"...What makes you think I lost my heart?" Her body was tense, even if her face wasn't, but she looked more ready to flee than to fight him. Playing up the part of an understanding stranger, Xigbar brought up a hand to his chest, mustering up the most sympathetic expression he could fake.

"Because I'm just like you. I lost my heart to the Darkness too." The girl finally lowered her weapons, though she didn't dismiss them. "We're called Nobodies."

"...And the Organization is made up of people like us, other Nobodies." Her voice had no curiosity in it, so she sounded more like she was stating a fact rather than asking a question. Belatedly, likely realizing her tone, she tilted her head to emphasize her point and Xigbar chuckled. It was always amusing watching the newbies struggle with their disconnected emotions.

"Right in one. So what do you say? Interested?" He said with an offered hand, pretending as if she had a choice in the matter. If she turned him down, he'd simply knock her out and drag her back to headquarters. The Nobody closed those vivid eyes for a moment before nodding, her weapons disappearing in a purple flash of dark energy and twinkling lights. "Good, then I'll take you to meet the boss. If you'll just follow me..." He trailed off before summoning a portal back to The World That Never Was and gave her one last look before stepping into the Corridor.

After a few seconds, he heard her light steps echoing from behind him.

Upon arrival, his eye narrowed slightly at the sudden brightness of The Room Where Nothing Gathers, before Warping to his seat, leaving the newbie behind to fend for herself. From above, she looked harmless now that she wasn't thrashing a horde of Heartless and Xigbar guessed that she would use that ruse to her advantage on future missions. She squinted harshly at the glare of the room, as if she hadn't seen light in days—which was more than likely, now that he thought about it.

The Freeshooter glanced over at his fellow Organization members, analyzing their reactions to their newest addition. Unsurprisingly, Xemnas gave nothing away as he gazed down at the red-eyed Nobody. His sat regally in his chair, idly studying her with slow blinks. Saïx sat straighter than usual, his head tilted to the side as a pronounced frown made its way onto his face. The Lunar Diviner clearly wasn't impressed with their latest recruit and Xigbar couldn't really blame him. The little minx certainly didn't look like much, but he believed that the old proverb, 'don't judge a book by its cover' suited her well enough.

"Greetings." Xemnas intoned, and Xigbar watched as the girl's gaze, which had been zooming around the room, locked onto the Superior the moment he spoke. "I am Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII. Might I ask for your name?" The Nobody straightened her posture before answering, earning her an approving nod from Saïx. Xigbar rolled his eye.

"Heather, sir." The Freeshooter found himself evaluating the sound of her voice. Her words were of course impassive, but she spoke in a smooth tone that only a fully grown woman could pull off, and surprisingly, Xigbar decided he rather liked the sound of it. It wasn't grating like Larxene's could be, but he wondered how her voice would change once she relearned how to put some feeling into it. Would she sound more laidback, like himself? Upbeat like Demyx, stern like Lexaeus, or perhaps even haughty like Vexen?

"Is it too much to bare, the emptiness resonating within you? Do you wish to return to whom you once were?" The Superior asked as he summoned the letters of her name out of thin air. The girl studied them before her gaze switched to Xemnas and nodded in answer. He waved his right hand and a large χ—the Recusant's Sigil—joined the translucent golden letters as they started flying around in the space between them and their newest member. Xemnas flicked his wrist once again, making the letters come to a standstill, and she read the name out loud.

"...Hexerath." She said lowly and Xigbar smirked at how intimidating the moniker sounded.

"Yes, Number XIII. Welcome to the fold."

* * *

Hexerath stared at the bedroom that was now hers.

Saïx had briefly explained the Organization's goal after Xemnas had given her a new name. She would be introduced to the rest of the members tomorrow, as it was currently the middle of the night and the others were resting. It crossed her mind that a midnight meeting amongst Xemnas, Xigbar, and Saïx could be seen as dubious, but the thought was disregarded with little acknowledgement. Instead, the young woman let her eyes roam over the room, lingering on the plain white desk and matching chair set in front of the room's only window. Overall, it looked strikingly similar to the room Roxas had in 358/2 Days, except for one glaring difference.

It was real now.

And that was where the discrepancies started. She found a small closet located in the wall opposite of the bed, which had not existed in the games. It was fully stocked with the Organization's uniform—black pants, black tank tops, three sets of black gloves, two pairs of black boots, and one black coat. Hexerath looked down at the clothes she was wearing and fingered the fabric that had woken up in upon her rebirthing as a Nobody. She briefly wondered if all Nobodies were born with new sets of clothes or if she and Roxas were the exceptions to the rule.

Hexerath spotted another door located near the corner of her room and she opened it to reveal a white tiled bathroom. It was simplistic, just like everything else in the room, with a small shower, a toilet, a sink, and a mirror. She found that the cupboard beneath the sink was fully stocked with white towels and other toiletries. Glancing over the mirror, Hexerath stilled at seeing her reflection.

She looked like a 3D computer animated model, like a video game character. It wasn't the same as the graphics of Kingdom Hearts 1.5—rather it matched what she'd seen from the trailers for Kingdom Hearts III. It wasn't her animated appearance that gave her pause, she'd been aware of her transformation upon waking up in the Realm of Darkness, although she hadn't been able to see her face until now. No, it was her eyes that caught her attention.

' _My eyes are brown_.' Thinking it didn't change the fact that her irises were now a bold crimson. Looking at herself more closely, Hexerath noted that nothing else about her features had really changed, besides the obvious. She had the same shade of ash brown hair and untamable bangs, though they were definitely more anime like in this form. Her face was still narrow, with her body just as short, thin, and pale as it ever was.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Hexerath's sights landed on the large window that spanned the length of the back wall and moved towards it, stopping beside the desk. She stared down at the city below, the flash of neon lights catching her attention, and ignored the reflected red gleam coming from her eyes. ' _It seems the Organization hasn't started collecting hearts yet._ ' The black, star filled sky was empty of the heart-shaped moon she had been expecting.

It was strange. She had a secondhand sense… of something. Her mind, as it had ever since she'd turned into a Nobody, pointed out that she should feel anxious, worried, and even afraid. But she found it impossible to summon forth any type of emotion. She only felt numb.

Hexerath bit back a sudden yawn, only just becoming aware of how exhausted her body was. She had never gotten tired in the Realm of Darkness, not in a physical sense at least. She shrugged off her vest, exposing the plain black sports bra underneath, and hooked it around the headboard of her new bed. After taking off her socks and shoes, she stuffed her iPhone under the pillow since the room didn't have a nightstand. As she settled into the mattress, Hexerath found that it was actually rather soft.

She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

 _"Ouch, ugh. Why does my brain hurt so badly?" Heather moaned as she slowly sat up and moved her hands to massage her temples. Her limbs felt oddly heavy and sore, as if she'd gone through a heavy workout. There was a pounding in her skull that rivaled the only hangover she'd experienced after her twenty-first birthday. Prying her eyes open, she squinted at her surroundings with a pained grimace. "What the_ _–"_

_It was black—the ground, the sky, everything was pitch black._

_"Oh my god, I'm blind!" She stood up shakily and reached out, hoping there was a wall or something nearby to lean on. "Wait a second." Heather waved her very visible hands in front of her face. "I can still see myself just fine, so I can't be blind." She studied her hands, confused even further as she realized that they looked really weird. "What the hell?" Glancing over herself, she found that the rest of her body, as well as her clothes, had changed too. She looked like something out of a Pixar movie. "Okay, this is really weird." Heather brought a hand up to her chin and hummed in thought while still studying her changed appearance._

_"Let's see, I remember playing Kingdom Hearts and then–" She gasped, recalling how that black ooze had come out of her TV before pulling her into it. Heather shook her head, realizing that must have fallen asleep while playing her game. "Well, if this is a dream, then why am I not kicking Heartless butt with Sora, Donald, and Goofy? Or at least partying it up in a mega crossover with all the Disney characters in one room?" She mentally pictured how she wanted her dream to change, but after several minutes of nothing, Heather shrugged it off and started walking in a random direction._

_"Man oh man, does my imagination suck or what? I didn't even dream up a change of clothes." She mumbled disappointingly as she looked over her attire. She was still in her pajamas, which consisted of grey sweatpants and a white camisole—though she was impressed with how detailed she looked in digital animation. "Figures that the scenery would get all the attention."_ _Once Heather had begun to move, her dream finally seemed to settle by becoming more fleshed out._

_The vast darkness surrounding her pulled back to reveal craggy pathways which boasted an ethereal blue-black coloring. Chasms opened up along the path she walked, revealing either empty voids below or cavernous pits that she had no desire to explore. Spires of stone jutted upwards and outwards, their shapes growing more distinct and unnatural the further she traveled. Twisting lines of glowing crystals often breached the surface, spreading through the rocky structures like veins. The soft blue light the crystals emitted was as beautiful as they were unsettling._

_Heather paused and reached out to touch the crystals, taken aback by how real it felt against her skin._ _She frowned as a thought suddenly occurred to her._

_"Hey, hold up… isn't this the place where Aqua sacrificed herself to save Terranort?" Of course, being on her own, no response was offered. "Does that mean that this is the Realm of Darkness?" Whatever ideas she might've had concerning the missing Keyblade Master were forgotten as four Shadows abruptly appeared in front of her. It took Heather a moment to spot them because they blended so well with the surrounding darkness._

_A simple 'oh crap' just didn't seem to do her situation justice. She wasn't scared though—after all, it was only a dream._

_"This is the part where I get an awesome Keyblade and destroy you guys." Heather proclaimed to the Heartless, who in turn merely stared at her with wide, unblinking yellow eyes, unaffected by her threat. She brought up her hand and tried to will the Keyblade into existence, like Sora had done over a hundred times in the games, only to end up yelping as she felt something brush against her leg. She glared down at the Shadows, but was greeted to three sets of eyes instead of four._ _'Where'd the other one go?' She thought nervously._

_"Seriously, you guys won't want to be anywhere near me once I get this thing working!" She shouted as she took a step backwards, frantically searching for the missing Shadow. "C'mon subconscious, help me out a little here." Heather held her hand out again, inwardly begging her mind to cooperate, and stared at her empty hand in betrayed dismay. She gulped as the fourth Shadow suddenly reappeared to her right and had no time to react as lunged towards her. Then she felt a sharp stabbing ache in her side, making her cry out._

_"That hurt?! That actually freakin' hurt!" Her hands instantly went to her side, rubbing the injured area and knowing without a doubt that it would be bruised later. Heather felt as if time itself had stopped as she realized what that meant. "This is just a dream. I can't_ — _I'm not supposed to feel pain." Shocked and dazed, she slowly looked back towards the Heartless._

_The other sets of eyes moved and she ran._

_Heather called out for help. For Sora, Aqua, anybody, but her yells only seemed to attract more Heartless. Swallowing back her panicked shouts had been almost impossible, but she somehow managed to keep her mouth shut, her pleas ringing throughout her head instead. At one point, Heather didn't know when, her vision grew blurry and she realized that tears had begun to swell up in her eyes. She angrily wiped away them away before they had the chance to fall_ _—_ _she hadn't cried in eight years and she wasn't about to start now._

_Heather didn't know how long she ran or how far, but she was certain that it wasn't an impressive amount of time or distance. She'd always been weak in the cardio area, and although desperately running for her life had pushed her to go faster and farther than normal, it wasn't enough to help her outrun the Heartless. It didn't help that her side had continued to throb with every step she took, doubtlessly hindering her escape._

_In the end, something, most likely her pursuers, lashed out at her bare feet and sent her tumbling into the ground face first._

_"I should have known that this was a nightmare the moment that black ooze showed up. Ooze is rarely a good sign." Heather panted to herself while trembling, trying and failing to ease her nerves with humor. She rolled onto her back to face her attackers—whether to launch an insult, crack another joke, or just beg for mercy—she wasn't sure. In any case, the words never got a chance to leave her mouth. As a Shadow leapt forwards, a heavy feeling of terror set in, and Heather knew that she wasn't going to survive this._

_In that moment, she closed her eyes._

_Surprisingly, she didn't feel the Shadow's claws digging into her, although it definitely felt like something was being torn out of her chest. There was pain, not strictly physical, but all-consuming and mind-numbing. Agony spread through her ribs, taking away what little breath she had left. Heather's eyes shot open, her dread only growing as she saw that the Heartless had surrounded her. They made no move towards her, but held perfectly still, as if they were waiting for something. Her lungs expanded slowly, causing more pain to swell up inside her, and she coughed harshly, suddenly feeling as if she were suffocating. An icy sensation gripped at her insides, spreading outwards, draining her of… of..._

**_E v e r y t h i n g_ **

_The Heartless didn't even shift as Heather slumped to the ground, arms too weak to support her anymore._ _Just as her vision started to dim, a white light radiated from her chest. It glowed so bright and warm_ — _a little fire to keep the darkness at bay. The Heartless leaned away, seemingly repelled and for a short moment, Heather felt safe. But then something horrible happened. The white light dimmed, quickly shifting to a warm pink, before it began to pull away. It_ _slipped through bone, sinew, muscle, skin, and cotton, leaving behind a gnawing emptiness._

_The loss of the light should have been horrifying, devastating, but Heather oddly couldn't feel anything now. In a way, it was a relief to be released from the fear and hopelessness that had griped her not even a second ago. Blinking slowly, she simply watched as the pink light floated upwards, just beginning to take shape only to be consumed by the Darkness before it could finish._

_It took Heather a second longer to realize what the light had been before darkness swallowed her up too._

Hexerath awoke to see her right hand stretched out into the air, attempting to grab the light that had long since faded—a light that had been her heart. With a sigh that she had to consciously perform, which ultimately felt jilted and unnatural, Hexerath pushed back the bangs that clung to her sweaty skin. While she felt nothing after reliving how she'd been turned into a Nobody, her body had clearly reacted to her dream. She laid a hand over her chest, half-expecting to find a heavy tempo pounding away, one that would match her elevated breathing and the blood rushing through her veins.

There was nothing however. Her chest was hollow, just as it had been since her reawakening.

Before, when she'd speculated about Nobodies with others, she'd never believed that they physically didn't have a heart. How could such a vital organ disappear? Realistically, the body wouldn't be able to function. Instead, she'd always believed that the Heartless didn't so much as take hearts, but rather a person's soul, the metaphorical heart. However, this was not the way she'd wanted to find out.

Not that it mattered anymore. She wasn't upset about the loss of her heart or curious about what was now pumping her blood. Her memories helped, with them Hexerath could remember how she was supposed to feel, but her reactions were slow. She had to process her responses now, and even then her movements were stiff while her words had no inflection to them. The emptiness residing inside Hexerath was apparent with every gesture, making it difficult to reenact what she was like when she'd been whole. It was only the memory of the light and it's warmth that drove her on—it made her want her heart back.

Hexerath sat up in bed and retrieved her iPhone from underneath the pillow. It had been in her pocket when she'd awoken after her heart was taken. It seemed to be the only material object that survived her conversion into a Nobody. After waking up in the Realm of Darkness a second time, with brand new clothes, the Heartless had attacked her again. Although they weren't as relentless as before, since they'd already taken her heart. She suspected they attacked her merely because it was in their nature to seek and destroy.

She'd first summoned her weapons, her Knuckledusters as she'd begun to call them, by accident. A Shadow had jumped at her, missed, and she'd instinctively lashed out with her fist where a flash of black-purple energy and twinkling white lights engulfed her hands, revealing her unexpected weaponry. Since she had no previous combat experience, Hexerath learned how to fight through trial and error. It didn't take too long before she was able to handle small groups of Heartless, but she'd still ended up running away more often than not.

During the countless fights that followed, Hexerath realized she'd gained some speed, strength, and durability by becoming a Nobody. It wasn't invulnerable, but she had gained near superhuman capabilities. She could take an attack a lot better than before, move much faster, and even hit harder. She learned that she was able to use Gravity, another ability discovered in the heat of battle, and was surprised to find that she could cast Magnet as well. Hexerath had no idea how she could suddenly use magic, but she'd soon discovered that the two spells were the only ones she could cast. They came in handy whenever she'd needed to flee.

Once her phone turned on, the Nobody saw that it read 11:15 PM, which couldn't have been right. Saïx said they were going to introduce her to the other members in the morning and it had been late when Xigbar retrieved her. Dismissing the time, her eyes moved over to the calendar app. She'd been sucked into her TV on the 20th—her phone now said it was the 30th. She'd spent ten days trapped in the Realm of Darkness, of course that was only true if time was relevant in the Realm, or if it even flowed at the same rate as her world.

Deciding to put those thoughts aside for now, the young woman went over to her closet. She didn't know what time it actually was, so it was probably for the best that she got ready now. After grabbing some undergarments, a tank top, and pants, Hexerath headed to the bathroom. Faster than she'd ever done as a Somebody, she was showered and dressed within twenty minutes.

After drying her hair with a towel, which she then pulled it into a damp braid, Hexerath sat on the bed and pulled on the uniform's knee-length boots, tucking her pants into them. They were heeled for which her memories told her to be thankful for simply because they made her look taller. Her short stature had always been a sore subject growing up, so she'd made it a habit of wearing shoes with a bit of height to them.

She traced the fabric of the infamous black coat and found that it was made from leather, or something like it. Zipping the coat up, Hexerath discovered that it was a little tight around her shoulders and that the sleeves stopped just short of her fingers. Lastly, she pulled on her gloves, which were made of the same material as the coat. After a moment, she raised the hood over her head, leaving her face in shadows.

"Hexerath, Number XIII." She repeated her new name and number lowly, shifting her mouth into an uncooperative frown. Since Xemnas had given her that number, it was safe to assume that Roxas wasn't around yet, which meant she'd arrived before Sora had released his and Kairi's hearts. Where was she in terms of the game's timeline? ' _Does Sora even have the Keyblade yet?_ '

Seeing as she had a moment, Hexerath folded the clothes she'd woken up in. Logically, it would be wise to keep them. She would need a change of clothes when she decided to leave the Organization or she could use them as a disguise in the future. The black coat was by no means covert. Just as she finishing hiding her clothes at the bottom of her closet, someone knocked sharply on the door. Hexerath moved across the small room to open it, revealing Saïx's amber gaze. The Nobody briefly looked over her appearance before nodding in approval.

"Follow me." He ordered and she did so without even thinking. Hexerath trailed behind Saïx down a barren hallway, keeping one eye on him while the other took in her surroundings. White walls and floors with grey patterns greeted her, along with a high ceiling that matched. There were no other doors to be seen, something she'd failed to notice the night before.

Saïx was not nearly so plain more to look at. He was far more... detailed than she'd ever seen him. The scar on his face, which should've been jagged in reality, was so clean-cut it looked more like a tattoo than an actual scar. Now that she thought about it, maybe it was a tattoo. Perhaps something he'd gotten to match Axel's teardrop marks? Hexerath could also see the individual stands of his hair, which was just so blue and so saturated. In perfect contrast, she could see the gentle curves of his face, the thin shape of his eyebrows, and the small pattern of pores along his skin. His amber gaze, for the brief moment she'd met it head-on, had almost seemed to glow because the colors were just that vivid. Saïx glanced back at her once, but he said nothing so their journey continued in silence.

Would he allow it, she could've easily spent many minutes simply taking in his appearance.

Her memories were quick to remind her to be wary, that she should be nervous—afraid, should Xemnas ever learn what she knew—but Hexerath didn't see how those emotions would benefit her at the moment. Had she still possessed a heart, she might've accidentally revealed that she knew more than she should, which would've been a disaster for the storyline.

A wayward thought, one that had not left her alone since arriving in the Realm of Darkness, came to her again, questioning if her situation really was happening. Even now her mind was trying to convince her that her situation was the result of a comatose dream. Or maybe she'd finally succumbed to that psychotic breakdown that her mother had always feared. Perhaps everything that was happening to her was indeed delusions of her broken mind—a pathetic attempt at escapism. However, rationalism seemed to rule over her thought process now, and she recalled the many accounts of physical pain she'd experienced in the Realm of Darkness. She also couldn't offer an explanation for the detailed the world surrounding her. Surely a fractured psyche wouldn't be capable of producing the glossy sheen she could see reflecting from Saïx's coat.

Unprompted, a quote she didn't realize she remembered came to her then: _"Truth is stranger than fiction."_

So now she was Hexerath—a Nobody and a member of the Organization. She'd worry about everything else once she actually had a heart to worry with.

* * *

Axel yawned as he shifted in his seat slightly, watching as Demyx nodded off again and nearly fell out of his chair, much to Larxene's snide amusement. The redhead had expected to wake up to the usual routine: get his daily orders of wiping out Heartless, write a report describing how he'd wiped out said Heartless, and then getting to sleep as his reward for a job well done. He had, understandably, been a little thrown off his game when he'd spotted Lexaeus and Zexion heading towards the Round Room instead of the Grey Area.

He'd asked the two what was up, naturally Lexaeus hadn't done the explaining, and had learnt that a new member was being introduced. He had shrugged it off and joined the others in the Round Room, wondering if he would still have to go on a mission afterwards. Probably. It's not like he'd ever gotten a day off before.

The minutes passed by at a snail's pace and Axel did his best to ignore the few members who had enough energy to start a conversation with each other. His gaze returned on Saïx's chair for the fourth time, unsure as to why it was empty. The idea that the Lunar Diviner had been charged with collecting their new member was laughable, but judging by the grin on Xigbar's face, that seemed to be the case.

His waning attention vanished as soon as Saïx appeared in his chair, composed in his usual position with his right leg crossed over his left, both hands clasped on his knee. With barely a glance in his direction, Saïx looked up at their leader with a nod, his gaze only dropping back to Axel after the Superior returned the gesture. Sending Saïx a questioning look, his friend merely tilted his head in answer before turning back to their leader.

Xemnas raised a hand to silence the others and smiled for once, likely pleased that they were now an actual organization consisting of thirteen members. He addressed them in a tone that had a touch of warmth to it, which was a bit creepy to hear considering Xemnas never really bothered with feigning emotions like the rest of them.

"My friends, today is truly a fortuitous one as the thirteenth member finally joins our ranks." Xemnas stated in his usual blasé tone, with some of the words and syllables being drawn out, as was his normal way of speech. Right on cue, the new guy appeared out of a Corridor, stepping onto the center of the Nobody's sigil that was engraved in the floor below them.

Number XIII was already dressed in the standard Organization uniform—their hood was up and covering their face in darkness. Axel, having had more than his fair share of investigative missions, could easily tell that the new member was female. The shape and curves of her body were clear to see, especially since the coat seemed to hug her upper body. The boots she wore matched Larxene's in style too, pointed and heeled in the same feminine fashion.

"Let us all welcome our new ally. Number XIII, Hexerath." The Nobody pushed back their hood, and true to Axel's observations, turned out to be a girl. Her age range seemed to be in her late teens, maybe early twenties. It was little hard to tell from his current distance. Her gaze lingered on their leader for a moment before switching to Xigbar, whom she gave a two-fingered wave. The Freeshooter blinked, before waving back at her in a lazy manner. Luxord said something to Marluxia that Axel couldn't hear, but he didn't doubt that it was some sort of game analogy.

"Whoa, no way! Number XIII's a girl and she's prettier than Larxene!" Demyx shouted, only to end up cringing as the Savage Nymph sent him a vicious glare.

Axel blocked out the others' comments and narrowed his eyes as he took a closer look a the new Nobody's appearance. He supposed she was cute, if you were into girls who looked looked like they'd never had a decent meal. She had long, greyish brown hair that was pulled back into a simple braid, with the exception of her spiky bangs. She was pale with thin limbs and a short height that would doubtlessly be mocked relentlessly. In all honesty, she didn't look like much. Axel was just about to look away when Number XIII's searching gaze met his and he saw that her eyes were a striking red. Okay, maybe Demyx was onto something.

Had he still possessed a heart, he likely would've been mesmerized by such a bright color.

"With the arrival of our thirteenth member, let us all take this as a sign of things to come." Xemnas began, putting a halt to the numerous conversations. "Perhaps our long years of waiting are finally coming to an end and Kingdom Hearts might soon be ours." He gestured at the empty chair located opposite of the Superior's own seat. "That is your place Number XIII, and yours alone. Serve us well and you will have your heart once more."

With those closing words, Xemnas dismissed them and left via Corridor. Before anyone else could disappear as well, Saïx ordered them to report to the Grey Area so that they could receive their missions. Slumping in disappointment, Axel followed the other members and inwardly grumbled about the unfairness of it all. Taking his usual spot up against the windows that went from the floor to the vaulted ceiling, the redhead closed his eyes and leaned against the glass, waiting for Saïx to give him his next mission.

"Axel." ' _Well, that_ _didn't take long._ ' He thought sardonically. "Your mission today will be to scout a new world." Saïx stated and Axel opened his eyes to find the blue haired Nobody standing in front of him, his trusty clipboard in hand.

"Recon, huh? Got it." He ruffled the back of his hair unthinkingly, an old tic from his former life, when a flash of red caught his attention. Peering across the room, he spotted Number XIII standing next to Xigbar, her gaze focused on him rather intensely. "What's the place called again?" He asked without looking away, which of course caught Saïx's attention. The Lunar Diviner spared the new Nobody a glance, appearing as disinterested as ever.

"Twilight Town." Saïx turned away, giving his back briefly to the other members, and spoke in such a low tone that the redhead almost missed it. "Keep an eye on her, Axel. She could prove to be a hindrance to our plans."

"Right." He replied smoothly, well aware that Marluxia and Luxord were only some few feet away from them. He lifted a hand to summon up a portal. "No worries, I got it memorized."

* * *

_Organization XIII Excerpt No. I: The Final Vessel_

_Today what was excepted finally came to pass—our Number XIII has been found at last. The Dusks I'd sent to scout the Realm of Darkness were the ones to discover her and Xigbar was tasked to retrieve her. With the Recusant's Sigil bound to her new state of existence, she was inducted amongst the ranks of the Organization. So long as she bears the name Hexerath, I will always be aware of her presence._

_Now, with a Keybearer chosen after nine years of waiting, and the thirteenth vessel in hand, my plans can begin anew._

**_–Xemnas_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I originally didn't know how to introduce my OC into the Kingdom Hearts Universe. Initially, I left it generally ambiguous, basically suggesting that Darkness itself transported her. However, that always left the gnawing fact that if Darkness invaded "the real world", then the Heartless would be able to enter "the real world" too. Having a higher being, like the entity or spirit of Kingdom Hearts summoning her, is not only a bullshit concept, but it reeks of Mary-Sue-ness. However, I was suddenly struck by a bit of brilliance while browsing through KH factoids. I'm rather pleased with this twist I've managed to concoct.
> 
> For those of you who missed it, since I had to word it from Xigbar's point of view, (which is kind of difficult since he likes to allude to things rather than just spit out what he means), Alice is NOT one of the Seven Princesses of Heart! Now I know this is a major change from Canon, but I have reasons for making this alteration. This of course means that since Alice is not a Princess of Heart, then somebody else must be. I will state now that it is not my OC. Also, I'm only going to use the worlds that we've seen so far in the games for awhile. So that narrows down the candidates for who could be the new Princess of Heart. Can you guess who?
> 
> For those who've read this story before my re-write/alterations, you'd know that I'd originally made my OC's attribute Time rather than Gravity. However, even though I had her use it in a different manner than Luxord, (let's face it, Luxord barely uses Time in his battles) it never sat right with me to change his element just for the sake of my character. This caused me to changing Hexerath's attribute to Gravity and I'll go more into that in the next chapter.
> 
> Also, I had to include some of Axel at the end. As you've no doubt guessed, Hexerath will be joining the sea-salt ice cream trio.
> 
> –Hexalys


	2. Power Of The Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys have read my other stories, then you have an idea of how hard it is to censor myself while writing this. I mean, it's Disney guys. I can't have any characters drop the F-bomb, even my own OC. I put in all the restraints I could, but in the end I decided to let both "damn" and "hell" slip through the cracks. Hell is actually said a few times in some Disney movies, and I know for a fact that Axel said it in the original Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories version that came out for the Gameboy Advanced. The swearword "damn" is all me though. The characters will only say it in the more serious or dire situations.
> 
> On a side note, I've made some artwork for this story and posted it over on DeviantArt. I have the same username for the account, so go check them out! But be warned, they can be somewhat... spoiler-y.

* * *

The Grey Area.

The wedge-shaped chamber was perhaps the one room in The Castle That Never Was that Hexerath knew best. And yet here she was, taking it in with new eyes and silently noticing all the differences from the games. The main colors filling the room were various shades of grey and white with sections of glass exposing metal pipe-like interior in the floor and walls, appearance of which reminded her of circuit boards. The Organization's symbol—or perhaps it was the mark of all Nobodies, a counterpart to the emblem found on Heartless—was embedded throughout the room in various sizes. Two matching sets of furniture sat on opposite sides of the area, with every available seat taken as all the members, save for Xemnas and Vexen, were present.

Currently, she stood beside Xigbar near the entrance, observing Axel as he spoke with Saïx. Like his friend, the Flurry of the Dancing Flames looked more real than Hexerath had ever seen. His hair was famous for its design amongst fans, but now it was so red and so vibrant it almost hurt her eyes to look at him after being trapped in a realm with so few colors. And his eyes—she wasn't even sure how to describe how green they were, or how they shone so brightly. Emerald was a few shades too dark, but the tint of his irises could never be defined as something as garish as lime.

Axel had been one of her favorite characters out of the entire series, and Hexerath knew she should be excited, overjoyed at actually meeting him in the computer animated flesh. Yet now she felt nothing, not the urge to smile at him, to approach him and introduce herself, or even attempt to befriend him. What was the point? He, along with the rest of the Organization, were all going to fade away eventually.

She tried to muster something forth at that thought, but her mind only provided her with the memories of how she'd reacted when she played the games.

Heather had been upset and heartbroken when Axel had died after trying so hard to see Roxas again. Her throat had tightened when Xion sacrificed herself to give back Sora's memories. Demyx's demise, his constant reluctance to fight, and the last words he'd spoken in the manga had made her feel like a bully. She hadn't wanted to kill Xigbar either. He'd been another one of her favorites, despite the fact that he seemingly had no redeeming qualities and that he'd been an antagonist since Birth by Sleep. Besides, knowing Nomura's tendency for plot twists, she'd long since suspected that there was something more to the Freeshooter.

Concentrating on those echoes of feelings, Hexerath concluded that she— _that Heather_ —wouldn't want them to die. Heather would've tried to change things. Was that why she'd been dragged into a game-turned-reality? Was Hexerath now meant to save the others? How could she do that, where would she even start? And if she did manage such a feat, how would that affect the story?

"You okay there, bright eyes?" Xigbar asked, his taunting voice interrupting her musings. "I think your starting to freak flamesilocks out." Abandoning her thoughts for the moment, Hexerath realized that she'd been staring at Axel for the past few minutes. He gazed back at her, those impossibly bright green eyes narrowing slightly, baring an unfriendly smile upon his face. He said something to Saïx, whose back was turned to her, and then lifted a hand to summon a Corridor of Darkness.

"I'm fine." She answered the Freeshooter flatly, tracking Axel's movement until he disappeared and the Corridor closed behind him. Her sights switched to Xigbar, who was on her right and giving his own cutting leer. It wasn't meant to be mean-spirited exactly, but it wasn't genial either. "I was just… satisfying my curiosity." It was much easier to tell a lie now, seeing as her voice of morality had essentially been rendered mute. Not that she hadn't been capable of lying convincingly before she'd become a Nobody.

"I doubt that." Xigbar chuckled callously and she nodded absentmindedly in agreement, not offended in the slightest. Before losing her heart, she had greatly enjoyed making up all kinds of stories and seeing just how far she could push her tale until someone called her out on it. It was rarely done maliciously or with ill-intent, and she never tried to outright hurt others with her lies. She knew it wasn't the most innocent of pastimes, but it had been a source of harmless fun.

"...I suppose it would be more accurate to say that I was trying to feel curious." The man's half-smirk widened at that, gold iris gleaming, and she shifted all of her attention onto him for a moment, taking in the changes to his appearance.

The once sharp edges to his features were smoothed over, save for tips of his pointed ears. His cheekbones were not as hollowed out as she remembered and his jawline seemed a little fuller too. His scar also looked more genuine than Saïx's. It was jagged and she could see the way it pinched and warped his skin. It wasn't raised against the rest of his flesh, rather it sunk into his face a little, like a section of his skin had been torn out. She saw that the top edge of his scar came incredibly close to his remaining eye, stopping mere centimeters away from his bottom eyelid. His salt and pepper hair had greater details, with individual black strands visible amongst the streaks of grey. She thinks that the length of his hair might even rival her own.

Overall, he looked less gaunt, and seemed strangely younger somehow.

Finally, her perusing came to rest on his eyes—well one eye and a black eyepatch. She knew the color of his iris changed in Birth by Sleep, brown during his fight with Terra and then gold when battling Aqua. She'd always assumed that was the point when Braig had succumbed to the Darkness and the pigment shift was a side effect. In truth, the color didn't seem as bright to her. In the games, Xigbar's eye had been a bold yellow, yet now the iris was a darker gold hue—not bright, nor overly dim, but like the band of a well-worn ring. After another moment, she mentally dubbed it as goldenrod.

"Heh, good luck with that." He scoffed and Hexerath picked up on his sarcasm easily. At least she had no trouble understanding what the others were emoting. She let her studious gaze drop to the wayside, her attention drifting towards the other members. Most were idle, but Saïx, who appeared to have finished conversing with Lexaeus and Xaldin, was moving towards them. "Oh joy, here comes X-face." Xigbar muttered, though not quietly enough, judging by Saïx's narrowing eyes.

"Number II, your mission for the foreseeable future will be to train Number XIII." The Lunar Diviner provided without preamble, his voice almost monotonous save for the touch of smugness underlining his words. Hexerath didn't understand why until Xigbar straightened his lax posture, annoyance overtaking his features.

"As if! I ain't getting stuck with breaking in the rookie."

"These orders come from Lord Xemnas himself. If you don't like it, take your complaints up with him." Saïx replied dismissively before advancing on Demyx, who recognized that he'd been spotted and was now apparently trying to blend in with the couch.

"Prick." Xigbar grumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck while tilting his head back and forth, as if he were working out a kink. He sighed as he turned to her, raising a brow as Hexerath simply stared back. "Well, guess the first thing I should do is give you the grand tour. Can't have you getting lost in our own base." He lazily waved his arm outwards. "This is the Grey Area. All members not already on assignment meet up here every morning to get missions from X-face. The missions themselves range from reconnaissance to taking out Heartless." Turning around, he gestured at the Nobody Moogle who was floating a few feet to behind them. "This little oddity is our resident merchant. So long as you got the munny, you can stock up on any items you need." The Moogle's red nose twitched as it looked to them.

"Hello there, kupo. If you need something, just come to me, kupo." It said with a wiggle of its head. Its voice was high-pitched, like that of a child's, so she didn't know whether to address it as a he or a she. Did Moogles even have genders? Hardly any of its face was visible due to the hood of its black coat, so she couldn't even see what expression it might be making.

"…I'll do that." Hexerath returned belatedly once she realized that it was waiting for a response. Xigbar, with a huff and a nudge, led the way out of the Grey Area, moving down a long hall which came to an intersection met with three more identical hallways. He pointed to the one on their right with his thumb.

"That way goes to the kitchen and the bedrooms, where each member gets their own wing. Chores, like cooking and cleaning, are handled by the Dusks. Breakfast and dinner are always served at seven and eight. Miss the deadline and you'll have to scrounge something up for yourself, got it?" At the mention of food, her stomach growled loudly and she blinked at the noise while Xigbar smirked. "Geeze, when's the last time you ate?"

"Ten days ago." She answered automatically. With a roll of his eye, he wordlessly started heading towards the kitchen and she moved to walk beside him rather than behind. Despite his longer strides, she was able to match his pace as he moved rather leisurely. His posture was half-slumped while his hands tucked into his pockets and his elbows pointed out at his sides. Hexerath actively furrowed her brow in thought, the gesture felt stiff and awkward, before continuing after a short moment. "At least, I think it was ten days. I was taken by the Darkness on the 20th." Xigbar whistled lowly.

"Hate to break it to you, bright eyes, but your math is off. Looks like you were stuck in the Realm of Darkness for twenty-four days. Today's the 14th." His offhand response had her she staring at him. If she got the days wrong–

"Of what month?"

"...July." The older Nobody answered as he glanced down at her. Hexerath halted at that, her feet coming to a standstill. He stopped too a few steps ahead, his face lacking any of his usual mockery as he watched her.

"That... doesn't make sense." It had been September when she'd been sucked into her television. The calendar app on her iPhone verified just how long she'd been in the Realm. Did she travel through time as well as cross dimensions? Did all worlds run along a linear calendar? Or did they have discrepancies, like something similar to time zones, but on a much larger scale? Holidays seemed to be a shared experience, judging by how Sora, Donald, and Goofy had reacted to Santa Claus in Kingdom Hearts II. Was it even 2013 in this alternate reality?

If she had a heart, she would've been frustrated and irritated at the lack of answers to these many questions. As it was, Hexerath only possessed a vague sense of curiosity, before pragmatically dismissing those thoughts altogether. What did time matter at this point? She wasn't in her world anymore, so keeping track of the dates mattered little. She was disconnected from her old life, so the diverging months held no bearing over her.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. Must be hard to keep track of time when it's nonexistent." Xigbar shrugged before continuing onwards, leaving Hexerath to trail behind him as she pondered over the man's understatement. She'd completely lost her grasp on time in the Realm of Darkness. In some moments, it had only seemed like hours since losing her heart, while at other periods it had felt like weeks. She'd fixated on her phone when those confusing, unending intervals became overbearing, watching the digital clock change minute by minute. "But what are the chances that I'd find you on the 13th day of the 7th month? That's one crazy coincidence. Almost seems like fate that you ended up here with us."

"...That must be why I never got hungry, thirsty, or tired." She deduced aloud, dismissing the latter comment as the Freeshooter's usual ramblings. Those bodily needs gnawed at her now however, and it was a surreal experience to have after being exempt for so many days. But hunger, like pain, was a physical sensation and wouldn't be affected by her missing heart. They came to a stop at a large archway, the entrance to the kitchen, which was much bigger than she'd expected.

Continuing the theme of the Castle, shades of grey, white, and metal made up the area. To her left a good portion of the room was dedicated to a long white banquet table with thirteen identical white chairs with the headrests shaped like the Nobodies' symbol. One chair rested at the head of the table, while the remaining twelve were split in half, with six set accordingly on each side. The rest of the kitchen was lined with white cabinets, grey counter-tops, and up-to-date appliances. A large stainless steel fridge sat opposite of the stainless steel sink, a grand island in the center provided plenty of space for preparing big meals, and she spotted a white shutter door off to the side that was likely a pantry.

Xigbar swaggered over to the island, placing his elbows on its' white and grey marble surface, and raised an eyebrow at Hexerath as she automatically followed him.

"I don't have to explain a kitchen to you, do I?" He asked condescendingly and she shook her head. "Then grab something already. The sooner we get done with the tour, the sooner we get to the only good part of this mission."

"And what's that?" Hexerath asked as she walked over to the fridge and opened it, taking in its contents. There were different kinds of drinks, various meats, cheeses, eggs, lettuce, fruits, vegetables, and leftovers stored in Tupperware-like containers. Spying a bowl of apples on the counter-top next to the fridge, she grabbed one, choosing something simple to appease Xigbar's impatience. She'd always possessed a small appetite anyways, which bordered on unhealthy, and had no doubt contributed to her small size. The fruit would tie her over until dinner.

"I gotta assess your fighting skills, right? Well, the best way to do that is by seeing what you can do firsthand." He looked delighted at the thought, and if she still had a heart, Hexerath might've felt intimidated. As it was, she mechanically took a bite out of her apple and silently followed the Freeshooter as he continued the tour. They passed through hallways, atriums, balconies, and rooms of various sizes and mechanics. Some she half-recognized from Kingdom Hearts II and 358/2 Days, while others were entirely new and she tried to make a mental map so as not to get lost in the future.

Every area had a name and Xigbar made sure to voice his opinion on each one—Vacant Refuge, Eternal Tower, Ruin's and Creation's Passage, Naught's Approach. After an hour of this, they arrived at the heart of the Castle, a euphemism that the Freeshooter emphasized upon ironically, which turned out to be a small antechamber that she instantly recognized despite how its appearance had improved.

The Proof of Existence was a small, dark grey, enclosed space decorated with black and light grey crisscrossing lines along the floor and walls. There were twelve markers, which were blue glowing monoliths with the Nobody symbol residing in the middle. They jutted out of the floor in stages and rows, shaped almost like keyholes, and stood taller than her by several feet.

"This room is called Proof of Existence." Xigbar announced as he trailed through the undamaged markers that, by the time Sora had reached this area in Kingdom Hearts II, had come to resemble a graveyard. She dogged his steps, briefly examining the panels on the ground in front of the structures closest to her. "These markers act as gateways leading to select areas that belong to each member of the Organization." He brought her to the second marker in the furthest left corner of the room. "Everyone gets a secondary title besides their rank. This one is mine." He pointed at the panel by their feet.

"The Freeshooter." Hexerath read aloud, already knowing this text from having already played the games—except there was another line of script. "Elusive End."

"Right, my domain. Xemnas is the Superior of the In-Between, with the Inimical Sanctuary as his domain and so on. You'll get your own title soon enough. Your domain should appear in the Castle within a few weeks or so." Xigbar explained as he gestured to the empty space next to the twelfth marker. "Now c'mon." He proceeded to walk through his marker, which sent a ripple along its' blue transparent surface, before disappearing from sight entirely.

Hexerath stepped through a moment afterwards, the sensation of passing through feeling vastly different from using a Corridor. Traveling by Darkness with Xigbar the day before was not unlike when she'd been sucked into her television. The Corridor had felt almost alive, a shifting substance that constantly moved around her, as if trying to latch onto her again. It had been a suffocating feeling, crowding, invasive. This portal however, felt like shuffling past sheer curtains which brushed against her body without being obstructive.

Arriving on the other side revealed more gray-white architecture, a black starry sky overhead, and a glow from the city's neon lights from far below them. The pentagon-shaped platform she stepped onto, possibly a roof judging from the nearby turrets, had five off-white diamond-shaped pillars located at each point. While observing the new area, Hexerath failed to notice Xigbar Warping to the top of a 20-foot pillar to her right, his Sharpshooters in hand and a devious smirk donned on his scarred face. A red shard of energy stabbing the ground mere inches from her right foot had Hexerath flinching back instinctively.

Glancing up, she spotted his weapons pointed at her threateningly as he stared down at her from above.

"Sorry bright eyes, but the boredom was seriously getting to me. How about we take a break from the tour?" Xigbar jeered while propping an arrowgun over his shoulder and raising a brow at her. "A little advice—standing still makes you an easy target, so you better get moving." That was all the warning he gave before unleashing a volley of shots in her direction. Summoning her spiked knuckles had become such a familiar action in the Realm of Darkness, that Hexerath did so seamlessly while rushing forwards to avoid his attack.

In the games, running had been the best way to deal with the Freeshooter's attacks and she saw no reason for why that tactic wouldn't work now. She moved without thinking, sprinting to the left or right at random, darting backwards or diagonally, making sure that she didn't fall into a pattern so that he couldn't predict her movements. ' _Serpentine._ ' She thought as she slithered and slid across the area like a snake. Xigbar tried to hit her, he shot at places he thought she was heading towards, only to miss as she turned on the spot and ran in the opposite direction.

However, that wasn't to say that dodging was a flawless, easy effort on her part.

Several times Hexerath felt the heat of red shards as they zoomed past, just barely missing her by inches. The shots he sent ahead of her, the ones that pierced the ground near the toes of her boots, sent her recoiling and stumbling backwards. She couldn't multitask either. Keeping track of Xigbar, who Warped to the different pillars seemingly at random, was an impossible task as she blindly ran around the limited area. And while her evasiveness worked, it only lasted for about five minutes before her body started to protest against the exertion.

She searched for something to hide behind. The pillars hardly provided any sort of cover; they were literally resting on the points of the pentagonal platform. It seemed as if the area had been specifically tailored to give Xigbar every possible advantage. Constantly moving at her fastest was draining her quickly, but letting her pace drop into a jog proved to be a mistake as a shard skimmed the length of her arm. Hexerath exhaled sharply through her teeth. Screaming and yelling had only attracted more Heartless to attack her in the Realm, so she'd quickly learned not to make much noise.

"You're getting slower, minx!" Xigbar taunted from where he needlessly hung upside-down in the air as he continued to fire at her. She dove out of the way, her left hand bracing her right bicep. A quick glance showed that her coat sleeve was completely intact—there wasn't even a hole or tear in the fabric.

Mentally ignoring the pain and the questions she had on the Organization's coat, Hexerath forced herself to keep up the demanding pace she needed to avoid getting hit again. She couldn't run forever, however, and hiding wasn't an option, so that only left attacking. But Xigbar didn't seem as willing to leave the high ground as he'd done in the games. She was a close-range fighter, putting her at a serious disadvantage, and all she had for magic was Gravity and–

If she weren't in the middle of a fight, Hexerath would've smacked herself. Turning on her heel, she pushed herself to go faster as she raced towards Xigbar's position.

"Oh ho! Finally decided to give up on running away?" The Freeshooter taunted as he shot at her. Veering to the right to avoid the spray of bullets, Hexerath cartwheeled to get herself back on track, though it felt shaky, crooked, and was likely a poor imitation of Aqua's signature dodge. Her body was fatigued, but if nothing else, she knew she was capable of landing at least one hit on Xigbar. As she flung her hands upwards, she realized she didn't know if her area of effect could reach the heights in which her target stood.

"Magnet!" Hexerath drew her arms to her chest, and for a single second, she saw the older Nobody lose his grin. Purple light outlined his body and whatever kept him hanging upside-down in the air failed as he was suddenly zooming towards her. Xigbar recovered quickly though as he pointed his Sharpshooters at her and started firing. Taken by surprise, Hexerath hastily jumped to the side, hissing in pain as one of the shards struck her left shoulder.

Her first instinct was to hunch over and curl up protectively around her injury. It was only because she was a Nobody that Hexerath was able to push past the pain and launch a right hook at the Freeshooter when her spell brought him within range. He brought his arms up to block, weapons and all, but even with that defensive move, his right forearm suffered the brunt of her attack. The spikes on her Knuckleduster hit their mark and she could see him grimace as he clenched his teeth. Strangely enough, his coat didn't tear either, and she didn't spot any blood.

"Gravity!" His goldenrod eye widened as the black and purple sphere descended upon him, forcing him to the ground relentlessly. The rapid shift in pressure must've been disorienting, or perhaps she'd simply caught him off guard. In any case, Xigbar crashed into the floor, his elbows and knees being the only things to keep him from smacking face first into the platform. Rearing her left hand back, despite the protesting ache in her shoulder, Hexerath prepared to deliver a haymaker to the man's jaw. It might've been underhanded, but she purposefully aimed for the right side of his face, taking full advantage of his literal blind spot.

And then he disappeared.

"Heh, nice try!" His voice came from behind her and Hexerath staggered, trying to get away and twist around to attack at the same time. "But you should never let your guard down!" The sudden stabbing pain in her side had her choking on air. She almost fell over, but somehow she was able to turn what should've been her body sprawling onto the ground into a half-decent crouch. Kneeling before the Freeshooter, Hexerath braced her aching side as she took heavy, ragged breaths. For the first time since becoming a Nobody, her face morphed into an expression that felt completely genuine. "Whoa, now that's one scary glare, bright eyes."

Something inside of her snapped, and an empowering energy that she'd experienced only a few times before in the Realm of Darkness, rushed through her. Her body was outlined with a soft purple glow, one that was mildly lighter than what had engulfed Xigbar moments ago. Nearly thirty feet above them, a black seam appeared in the sky before splitting outwards without making any noise. It was a rift, something akin to a black hole, but instead of becoming a vacuum of darkness, it was filled with various shades of purple, the slightest hints of deep blue, and twinkled with hundreds of tiny white lights.

In a spans of seconds, Hexerath was on her feet and Xigbar was off his. The eyepatch wearing Nobody gave a short shout, his limbs flailing for a few seconds as he suddenly found himself hovering a dozen feet above the ground. This wasn't Magnet or Gravity—this was an absence of gravity completely. Still outlined in a purple glow, Hexerath jumped after the Freeshooter and began her assault. He easily blocked her first set of blows and kicked her away. Instead of falling however, the younger Nobody had completely control over her body and instead altered her trajectory. In a speedy dive, she flipped in midair just before hitting one of the pillars, and kicked off it to send herself shooting back towards Xigbar.

She saw him grin and adjust his arrowguns to fire at her, when he let out a sudden pained grunt and looked upwards. From the rift above them, the twinkling lights flickered before barreling out of the rift. Hexerath knew from experimenting that she could direct the balls of light—the veritable stars themselves—but the concertation it took meant she had to remain stationary. If she allowed the shooting stars to proceed uninhibited, then they rained down on their own, traveling at different speeds and directions, leaving her just as likely to get hit as her enemies.

Getting hit by one of her stars was like being punch with a boxing glove—painful, yet accompanied with something that was almost soft.

Just as she reeled back her fist to attack, the Freeshooter turned to her and let a loud laugh before vanishing once again. She quickly found him however when she heard him let out an aggravated noise. Xigbar had tried to circumvent her ability by Warping to the top of a pillar, only find himself being lifted back into the air. He might be able to change his position instantaneously, but he didn't possess the same kind of maneuverability that she had, forced to levitate to whichever point he teleported to.

As such, what could only be described as an inopportune game of tag started between them. She flitted across the area, dodging both stars and Xigbar's shards, while also trying to land a blow on the man. Xigbar, likewise, teleported to dodge her attacks and the falling stars. He soon learned, after a close encounter, that he could knock the stars off their course, and then proceeded to shoot the stars at just the right angle to send them hurtling towards Hexerath.

Feeling her attack approaching its end, she flew towards the center of the rift, where the stars inside began to shine so brightly that the entire rift flared white. The mass of light engulfed Hexerath, joining the purple glow that already outlined her body, before transforming into a purple-white aura that took the shape of a five-pointed star. She rocketed towards Xigbar, both arms extended in front of her and spiked knuckles aimed with intent. She looked very much like a shooting star in that moment, and she knew that this final blow would be devastating.

Xigbar Warped away to avoid the attack completely. Not even the floor cracked from her impact.

She'd used this same move to defeat a Darkside and completely shattered a craggy pathway in the Realm of Darkness.

Hexerath collapsed to her knees in exhaustion, her limbs shaking and injuries aching. Her Knuckledusters disappeared with a swirl of color and fading stars, leaving her to pant breathlessly as she watched the Number II of the Organization reorient himself as gravity returned to normal. He didn't even look scuffed up and was barely winded. She couldn't tell if she impressed him or not. Xigbar dismissed his arrowguns as he walked towards her, chuckling a little as he offered a hand to help her onto her feet. She took it, and locked her knees into place when her legs threatened to give out from under her.

"Not bad, not good either, but barely passing is something to be proud of I guess." So he wasn't impressed then... Or was he just being sarcastic because that was his nature? "It took you way too long to go on the offensive. What? Did you forget you could pull off that Magnet trick?" Hexerath nodded, aware that she should feel embarrassed, but decided not to try generating that particular emotion. "Yeesh, that was a major oversight, slugger. What else did you do wrong?"

"I had no strategy... I knew I had to evade your attacks, but there's no cover in this place to hide behind, which just left running... and I could only do that for so long. When I tried to regulate my pace to conserve energy... I wasn't fast enough to outpace your attacks. That's when I realized... I was going to lose. So my focus turned to landing a hit on you... When I got you within striking range... I forgot about your affinity for teleporting." Hexerath swallowed dryly, aware that was the most she'd spoken since losing her heart, even with her sentences had been broken up with slight pauses.

"To be fair, you didn't know I could do that until we started fighting." He said while looking rather pleased with himself. "Fortunately for you, we can work on those weaknesses. Until Saïx assigns a mission that says otherwise, we'll come here for training after breakfast everyday. Got it?" Again, she nodded. "Good. Now that last move of yours wasn't too bad, probably would've done some decent damage if your opponent had been one of the others." She'd almost forgotten Xigbar was a master at backhanded compliments. "That type of attack is called a Limit Break and they're activated when you're at the end of your rope. I didn't think yours would trigger so soon. You've got a lot of toughening up to do. What's it called?"

"…My Limit Break?" She asked after quickly reviewing the information he provided. She had figured that ability was more like the Desperation Moves and Reaction Commands featured in Kingdom Hearts II.

"Hey, everything's gotta have a name in this place, right?" His mockery was accompanied with an eye roll. "Mine's called Critical Snipe. It–" He snorted suddenly, goldenrod iris gleaming as he smirked down at her. "Well, I'd rather show than tell." She tensed, prepared to flee should he restart the fight. Xigbar must've noticed, because his smirk widened into a full-blown grin. "I'll save it for another time. You're looking more than a little worn down." He shrugged, working out that kink in his neck again, before pulling something out of his pocket. It was a small dark blue bottle, shaped like a jar of jam, with a large neon green star symbol in the center. "Here, this potion will heal you up."

"...Thank you." Hexerath took the potion, broke the seal, and peered inside the jar to see it's contents. Rather than a liquid, like she'd been expecting, the potion was a thick, green substance filled with what looked like yellow and light blue sparkles. It immediately reminded her of glitter glue. Lacking any hesitancy, she drank the shimmery substance. It tasted like… green tea, but with the thickness and texture of a milkshake.

She hated green tea—or at least, her Somebody had.

Hexerath must've made a face because the Freeshooter started snickering. Still, the effects the potion had were almost instantaneous. Her aches, what she suspected would've become severe contusions, faded away as if they never existed in the first place. Even her fatigue was abated somewhat, revitalizing her in a way no energy drink ever had. Her limbs no longer shook from the strain, but merely felt sore instead.

"Why wasn't I hurt more?" The question slipped through her lips before she could think to reword it better.

"I took it easy on you, slugger." Xigbar replied, his mouth twisting into a callous leer. "If I went all out, we'd drop from thirteen members back down to twelve."

"I am well aware that you're above me in fighting prowess." She conceded, not wanting her subsequent training instructor to think she was insulting him. "But these coats are different, correct? It's not torn or riddled with holes... and my injuries aren't as severe as they should be." ' _I didn't bleed._ ' Was left unsaid in her mind. Hexerath had found out from firsthand experience that she could bleed in this once fictional universe, even if the characters never did so in the game.

"Ah, that." He commented before making a waving gesture with his hand. The action had a visible effect as the marker flickered into existence near the middle of the platform. Xigbar began moving towards it with his leisurely gait, and Hexerath followed him at a slower pace, still feeling mildly tender. "See, that black coat you're wearing isn't just a fashion statement. It's enchanted—magically fortified to protect us from Darkness. That's why we're able to use the Corridors without any side effects. As a result, they're very durable."

Now that explanation actually made some sense. Magically imbued clothes was a well-used mechanic in the games. Accessories granted special abilities or resistances against damage. Sora's clothes in Kingdom Hearts II could transform and make him more powerful. The whole reason behind DiZ giving Riku and Mickey their own black coats was to protect them against the Darkness. As they reached the marker, Hexerath came to a stop, letting her crimson eyes trail over the area.

"...What exactly is this place? Earlier, you called it your domain?"

"Right. Every member gets their own little slice of the Castle, and this is mine—Elusive End. They're these special areas that have taken shape to suit our styles. Being a gunslinger, I have a wide, open space so my enemies can't hide from me and plenty of high points to snipe from. More often than not, this is where my Nobodies hangout when they're not doing any missions.

"...Your Nobodies?" She asked flatly, although this time she had an idea on what he might be referring too.

"Lesser Nobodies if you wanna get technical. They're the ones who weren't lucky enough to end up like us." His sneer was unfriendly, his tone turning a touch irritated. Perhaps her numerous questions were getting on his nerves? "The type of person they were determined what kind of Nobody they became. The most common type is the Dusks. People who were well-rounded, or didn't have any particular traits that outshone the others. Then there're the Creepers, the weakest Nobodies, born from weak-willed people and are unfortunately the second most common Lesser Nobodies."

"The oddest type are the Twilight Thorns. They're these massive creatures that are probably the missing link between Lesser Nobodies and us. Maybe that's why they don't listen to the Organization—they have just the right amount of self-awareness to do their own thing. After that you've got the Nobodies that can be divided into twelve classes, which slowly came into existence after us, and took on similar traits. The Sorcerers obey Xemnas, mine are the Snipers, Xaldin's got the Dragoons, Vexen directs the Alchemists, Lexaeus commands the Gladiators, the Illusionists belong to Zexion, Axel controls the Assassins, Demyx leads the Dancers, Luxord has the Gamblers, Marluxia is in charge of the Reapers, and the Ninjas follow Larxene."

That was... different. Hexerath expected discrepancies, but 5 new types of Nobodies was a very notable one. Did that mean she couldn't fully rely on her knowledge from the games? There were so many questionable variables that just kept piling up. What else was different? Would they continue to be minor changes, like extra enemies and unexplored areas, or would things deviate further on a larger scale?

"You'll likely get some subordinates of your own soon enough. The Ninjas took about a month to start manifesting after Larxene joined the Organization." Xigbar continued as they stepped through the doorway and arrived back into the Proof of Existence. Did that mean she would get the Samurais in Roxas' stead? With a slight shake of her head, she dismissed the topic from her mind for now and returned to what she could confirm.

"...Supernova." Hexerath stated as they left the antechamber.

"What's that?" Xigbar asked, blinking at her in bemusement.

"My Limit's name, I want it to be Supernova."

"Supernova? Hmm, not bad minx." He looked and sounded amused so she tried to smile back. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards into an uncooperative attempt that looked like more of a grimace than a grin. "Ha, nice face!" His scoff had her facial features slacking, returning to its neutral expression.

* * *

As the tour neared its end, Xigbar wasn't sure what to make of their newest recruit. She shadowed him dutifully, asking the occasional question here and there, her voice as flat as paper. He studied her discreetly, taking note of every time her expression changed, which wasn't often and usually didn't look quite right. She'd try to frown with only her lips, her cheeks twitching with effort while the rest of her face remained lax. That sad attempt at a smile had actually been a little horrifying. Even her walk lacked any characteristics. Her arms stayed awkwardly still at her sides, her back was ramrod straight, and her strides, though short and quick, were stiff, as if she'd forgotten how her knees worked.

Hexerath was, without a doubt, the most Nobody-like member he'd ever seen. Saïx, for all his attempts to "embrace the emptiness inside him", didn't come close to the emotionlessness of Number XIII. And as for Xemnas—well, the Freeshooter was pretty sure there was a difference between being composed and being apathetic. Struck by curiosity, he suddenly stuck his out foot and the newbie spotted it too late. She managed to keep from falling over, but it involved a lot of stumbling and flailing. Once she recovered her balance, those crimson eyes darted up to him, and a flash of… _something_ shot across her face before returning back to that perpetual blankness.

Xigbar could tell that she was trying. Every belatedly raised eyebrow, the calculated narrowing of her eyes, the exaggerated tilt of her head. It was all attempts to mimic feelings. And the Freeshooter realized that it was her failed attempts that were bothering him. He frowned as the, much shorter, Nobody continued walking without commenting on his attempt to trip her. He didn't understand why she was having such trouble with displaying emotions, fake or not.

Sure, during the first few days everyone had gone through the same listless transitioning, relearning how to act properly through memories and old habits, but she should be well past that point by now. Even with being stuck in the Realm of Darkness, their newest member had existed as a Nobody for twenty-four days. She should have gotten the hang of expressing some basic characteristics by now.

Had she simply been an oddball beforehand, or was she something different? His centuries-old paranoia might just be acting up, but he couldn't help feeling suspicious. He had found her on the 13th day of the 7th month. Those two numbers in particular had too much weight for the whole thing to be brushed off. Thirteen pieces of Darkness and seven of Light. And on top of the dubious date, she was also Number XIII of the Organization. Somewhere in that tirade of thoughts, there was one coincidence too many.

Who was Hexerath, and what was her role in all of this?

"Hey." He said abruptly, coming to a halt so suddenly that she nearly bumped into him. He'd shown her most of the Castle, save for the dungeon and drawbridge. Taking her to explore the city could be done another day too. "What were you like? Y'know, when you were a Somebody?"

"...Why does it matter?" She replied after a short moment, as if she considering whether to answer him or not.

"Just thought I'd get a feel for what you're going to be like once you warm up to your old personality."

"…I suppose others would've called me impetuous." He blinked at her, taking in her empty voice, stiff posture, and neutral expression. Nope, he hadn't expected that. "But I wasn't particularly outgoing either. I could be sarcastic and I liked to make others laugh. The last few years, I suppose felt… lonely. I loved spicy foods, the hotter the better, and my favorite hobby was drawing." She paused, her gaze unfocused and her tone turned just a tad softer. This time he could properly identify the minuscule look on her face—nostalgia. "I still like spicy foods, right? That's more of a physical preference, isn't it?" He shrugged.

"In my experience, becoming a Nobody shouldn't affect your tastes too much." The conversation, if it could even be called that, trailed off there. Xigbar yawned, more so because he was bored. Number XIII's non-personality could only be amusing for so long and the mysteries surrounding her weren't going anywhere. "Well, I think that's about it for today. I'll show you the entrance to the Castle and the city tomorrow." It was around midday so a few of the Organization members should be back from their missions by now. Maybe he could pawn off his little limpet onto one of them?

The thought of dumping her off on Larxene kept him smiling all the way back to the Grey Area.

* * *

_Organization XIII Excerpt No. II: What A Pain_

_Looks like I'm the one stuck with training duty this time around. Whose bright idea was that? I mean, me, taking on another apprentice?_ _There are so many levels of irony layered into this situation, even I don't think I could list them all._ _It's like a bad joke that just won't die!_ _Seriously, what was Xemnas thinking by giving me this kind of mission?_ _If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was trying to keep me busy..._

 _Is this assignment just a ruse to distract me from looking into the Dusks Xemnas snuck into the Realm of Darkness? How'd he even manage that in the first place?_ _Have I gotten too comfortable, grown too lax in my old age and let my guard down?_

_I think it's time I remind everyone why I'm considered the "eyes and ears" of the Organization._

**_–Xigbar_ **

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, let's address the elephant in the room: Hexerath's and Xigbar's conflicting attributes/elements. I've given her Gravity, which, if I'm being honest, doesn't seem all too different from Xiggy's Space attribute on paper. I mean, he does levitate upside-down when attacking in the game, so I can see how the argument can be made that they're the same.
> 
> Personally, this is how I view Xigbar's Space element: "He is able to manipulate the dimensions of space." This is why he can redirect his bullets in battle, teleport, and levitate as he is able to control the space he inhabits, or even the space other peoples and things are inhabiting. Yet, I've also made it so that he has a strong affinity for the Warp spell.
> 
> Now, here is where I am most certainly abusing my writing powers. In Chain of Memories and Birth by Sleep, Warp is a spell that allows the user to generate a spatial anomaly from the Keyblade that sucks in all enemies present. Only Sora and Terra have used this spell, so that's why it's not well-known. Now take that definition I just gave you and throw it out the window. In this story, Warp works very differently and in a way that I can insert Warp magic into Canon. You know those instances throughout the games where Young Xehanort, Master Xehanort, and numerous other members of the Organization teleported without using a Corridor? Well, that's Warp in action.
> 
> Now, to address the changes I've made. We have to remember that by Chain of Memories, it was unlikely that the extent of the Nobody types had been planned by that point, which would explain that, by the time KHII rolled around, we only got 8 types of Lesser Nobodies instead of 13. The names for the Lesser Nobodies come from class/job system used throughout the Final Fantasy franchise; i.e. Warrior, Thief, Black Mage, White Mage. This is how I named the other new types. Yes, Hexerath will get her own Lesser Nobody, and no, they won't be the Samurais like she guessed. The fact that Reapers and Ninjas were introduced in KHIII just supports this change of mine even more.
> 
> As for the whole domain idea, this spawned from the fights against Luxord and Saïx. I noticed that their markers led to seemingly dead ends—these areas acting with the sole purpose of being the settings for their boss battles. I expanded on this idea, making these areas/domains to be sections of the Castle that belong to each member. I do have names for each domain, and a relatively good idea at how they look in my head. I've posted some artwork on what Elusive End looks like over on my DeviantArt account, so go and check it out!
> 
> –Hexalys


	3. Examination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, let me state that I have played both 0.2 Birth By Sleep -a fragmentary passage- and the mobile game (KHχ? Union χ[Cross]? Unchained χ?) So I am well up-to-date on all the little plot twists and information. But you're right, Hexerath herself doesn't have any of this knowledge. To make this feasible, since I'm making Heather such a KH fanatic, I had her get sucked into the Realm of Darkness on September 20, 2013.
> 
> So, while she knows that Aqua is in the Realm of Darkness, as we see in the secret ending of BBS, she doesn't know the extent of what Aqua's been through. The same goes for KHUχ. She knows there was a Keyblade War, but only the vague info we've gotten in the previous games and that the Japanese mobile game is supposed to be about it. Dream Drop Distance came out in 2012, but she never got to play it because she didn't have a 3DS. Heather desperately avoided spoilers, so she has no idea that Axel and the rest of the Organization get recompleted.
> 
> I also got some questions about just how long Hex spent in the Realm of Darkness, which was indeed ten days. Xigbar just sort of assumes she lost track of time. Frankly, he's more concerned with the date he found her, because he knows how significant the numbers 13 and 7 are in the grand scheme of things. Thus, at the very moment that Heather was sucked into the Realm of Darkness, Destiny Islands was destroyed and Sora ended up in Traverse Town. In the following ten days, he met up with Goofy and Donald and traveled to both Wonderland and the Coliseum. He hasn't gotten to Deep Jungle just yet, that'll take another few days, and then he's got to return to Traverse Town after that to seal the Keyhole.
> 
> I'm making a point to write this fic linear to the events in-game. Main plot points will be addressed, such as how Alice is not a Princess of Heart in this story, but there won't be any big expositions about the trio's adventures until Hexerath gets more involved.

* * *

As luck would have it, there was someone at the Grey Area. And they just so happened to be the best possible sucker for Xigbar to dump the little minx on.

"Yo, Demyx!" He called cheerfully as they stepped into the wedge-shaped room. The Melodious Nocturne gave a yelp of surprise from where he sat on one of the couches, nearly dropping his sitar as a result. The dirty-blonde haired Nobody glanced up at them with panicked eyes before slumping with obvious relief.

"Oh, it's just you Xiggy. For a second, I thought old X-face had found me." He sighed in relief, before offering them a grin. Xigbar looked positively gleeful.

"You're not skipping out on missions again, are you rock star?" Hexerath silently noted the nickname with something resembling… amusement? Yes, that was it. Many fans had often drawn comparisons between Demyx and David Bowie. Alike hairstyles, same lanky builds, both musicians. Then there was the fact that one of the Nobody's battle cries, "Dance water, dance", was strikingly similar to the chorus of Bowie's "Magic Dance" song.

"W-who me? No way, man!" The Melodious Nocturne was quick to deny, though there was a guilty air about him that even Hexerath could detect. His bright blue eyes—cerulean—widened after a moment, his lower lip pouting outwards as he, surreally, gave the Freeshooter what she could only determine to be puppy-dog eyes. "Please don't tell Saïx where I am."

"Hmm, I don't know. You aren't exactly being a good boy, what with shirking your responsibilities like this. I should report you." Xigbar hummed thoughtfully, his goldenrod eye shining with obvious mirth as he rubbed his chin in an exaggerated manner.

"Aw c'mon Xiggy, don't be like that! I thought we were buddies!?" He complained as he slumped even further into his seat, clutching his sitar to his chest tightly and looking sullen.

"Heh, as if." The older Nobody snorted. "Tell you what, _buddy_ ," He stressed the word with a sneer. "you watch over bright eyes here until dinner time," A not-so-gentle push in the middle of her back had Hexerath stumbling forwards. "and I'll forget all about this little incident."

"Deal!" The dirty-blonde agreed immediately.

"Great." With that, Xigbar retreated from the room with a farewell wave over his shoulder. "You two play nice now, ya hear?" Hexerath stared after him for a long moment, knowing that, if she still had a heart, she'd feel irritated with the man for treating her like a child that needed to be watched. However, the sole reason for why she was amongst the Organization was because she lacked a heart, so she merely stood still in the wake of his departure, quiet and uncaring.

"Ah, your name is… Hexerath, right?" The hesitant question had her gaze turning towards the sitarist, who flinched minutely for some reason.

"Yes."

"Oh, um, good." There was a lull in conversation, which, as time progressed, only seemed to make Demyx become anxious. His fingers fiddled with the tuning pegs at the head of his sitar, as if he were restraining himself from playing. His left foot tapped against the floor intermittently to some beat that only he heard, while his eyes darted around the room, landing on her occasionally before quickly locking onto something else. "Uh, you do know you can sit down, right?" Hexerath blinked at him.

Truthfully, it wasn't a thought that had occurred to her at all. She had just sort of… spaced out without having something to concentrate on.

But sitting down did sound ideal—to rest her sore muscles for a little while. She moved towards him, choosing the armchair on Demyx's right. With no one around, he'd taken advantage of the couch's length, spreading out along its cushions with his instrument in his lap. Hexerath was hyperaware of his gaze tracking her movements, though he tried to make the action subtle. Returning his stare however, only seemed to make him fidget even more.

Crimson eyes studied the twitching musician. His black coat was similar to Axel's and Xigbar's, with close-fitted sleeves as opposed to the loose style most of the Organization wore. Like everyone else, he looked more real than she'd ever seen him in the games. His cerulean eyes were wide, expressive, and his dirty-blonde hair was fashioned in an impressive mullet-like aesthetic with several individual strands of hair laying against his forehead. His limbs were gangly, which only seemed to be emphasized by his boney shoulders. His jawline wasn't quite so filled out, making him look a little more androgynous than she remembered, and his ears stuck out noticeably thanks to his hair. Overall, he looked to be in his twenties and she briefly wondered if he was older or younger than herself.

The Melodious Nocturne shifted under her assessing gaze again, looking a bit distressed. Did she make him nervous? Was her lack of expression really that off-putting? Should she say something to ease his anxieties?

"…You can play if you want." The suggestion was the simplest solution. Above all that she remembered of Demyx, Hexerath knew he valued his sitar more than anything. The instrument itself was a massive thing, likely four and a half feet long, colored various shades of blue with bits of white, while sporting only three metal strings and ultimately resembling an overly large Nobody symbol. It certainly wasn't like the sitars back in her world. Dimension? Alternate reality? She wasn't sure of the appropriate vernacular at this point.

"Really?" He blinked at her in confusion, eyes squinting and head tilted to the side. "Are you sure? You don't think it's pointless or headache inducing?" It sounded like he was parroting somebody else, like it was an opinion he'd heard often. Hadn't the other members of the Organization complained about his music in the manga?

"Well, if you play badly, that might be annoying." He scrunched up his face, an action that had his nose crinkling, lips curling, eyebrows lowering, forehead wrinkling. It was… fascinating, seeing just how effortlessly Demyx made emoting seem. "But I don't think music is pointless." Although, she silently admitted it wasn't something she'd ever thought to question before. Music had just always been a part of her life, a part of everyone's lives. "…Music, where I'm from at least, is about expressing beliefs and sharing our feelings." Or at least, that's what she'd thought when she'd been whole. That sentiment felt lacking now, especially while being uttered in such a dull tone.

"Music is about–" Demyx's voice quickly dropped into an incoherent mumble, cerulean eyes focused on his instrument as a serious expression formed on his face. looking entirely out of place. The room grew quiet again, but there was something different about it. Number IX wasn't fidgeting restlessly, rather he sat perfectly still. Then his head suddenly shot upwards, a wide beaming grin aimed in her direction as his face radiated happiness. "That's exactly what music is, Hexerath! You're totally right!"

She wasn't sure how to reply to whatever epiphany she'd given him. Searching her memories only provided her with the knowledge that she should smile back, but seeing as Xigbar had laughed at her last attempt, she should probably practice in private before trying again. Instead, Hexerath settled for a nod. Her lackluster response didn't dampen his mood in the slightest. The smile he gave her… it was pleasant, friendly.

She couldn't remember the last time someone had looked at her like that.

"Ya know, once I got a look at your scary eyes, I thought for sure you'd be like Larxene, but you're actually pretty cool." The reminder that her irises had changed colors was unexpected. She'd completely forgotten about them. Without any thought behind the motion, her hand automatically started to reach towards her face before she ceased the action, and let it fall limply into her lap.

"…They used to be brown." Hexerath provided without prompting. Demyx looked at her in confusion and she continued. "My eyes used to be brown, the color of chestnuts." ' _The most boring shade._ ' She silently added. She'd never liked her eyes. They'd been too plain, too ordinary. If she had a heart, Hexerath thought she might be rather pleased with the change of color. "They turned crimson when I became a Nobody."

"Huh. You know I heard something like that happened to a few of the others." He replied nonchalantly as he eased back into the couch and repositioned his sitar. "Axel got those weird tattoo thingies and I heard that Saïx's scar is the same. Though that last bit came from Xiggy, so who knows if it's true or not." He shrugged while giving the strings a few plucks before glancing at her again. "You sure you don't mind?"

"Go ahead." Hexerath leaned back in the armchair, pausing for a moment before curling her legs up underneath her as she would've normally done, although she admittedly would've removed her boots first. The position was still comfortable, familiar, and her stiff posture eased a bit, her shoulders sagging as she tilted her head back to rest against the upholstery.

The first few notes came tentatively before the melody started to really flow. It was slower paced than she expected, sedated, sounding almost like a lullaby. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on what she should feel, getting a secondhand sense of… serenity? Calm—like she was at peace? It was a strange sensation to name, especially since she'd so rarely felt it before losing her heart.

Hexerath dozed for a bit. Not falling asleep, but not quite awake either. Demyx's music was a constant, though the pitch and rhythm kept changing. Sometimes it sped up to something carefree and pop-ish, while at other times it reminded her of the classic rock bands from the 80s. Lesser undertones of alternative, jazz, and even the blues made their appearance too. It was clear that he enjoyed glam metal the most, which was filled with upbeat hooks and catchy guitar rifts.

It was familiar and relaxing, listening to Demyx play. While she'd never had a talent for making music, Hexerath had been fond of it just the same. She didn't have a particular type that she enjoyed more than others. Rock, country, rap, swing, pop, classic; she'd appreciated all genres. Her favorite pastime was to curl up in her dad's old armchair with a well-used drawing pad and hum to the music blaring from her headphones.

When the strumming stopped abruptly, Hexerath found herself jerking out of her stupor. Eyes fluttering open, her first sight was of Demyx whose face was the picture of horror. Following his petrified stare, she spotted the reason for his reaction. Saïx stood at the entrance, his amber eyes almost glowing as he glared at them.

"Number IX, Number XIII. What do you think you're doing?" The brevity of his speech was telling, even if it lacked any hint of emotion. The Lunar Diviner was, at the very least, irritated. There was a beat of silence following his question and she knew better than to let it linger.

"…As ordered." Hexerath answered when it became clear that Demyx wasn't going to speak. A glance at the Melodious Nocturne proved as much. He was perhaps only one step away from trembling in fear. Saïx's fierce gaze zeroed in on her as he took steady, heavy steps towards their seats. Demyx let out a choked whimper as he curled around his sitar protectively.

"Ordered by whom?" He came to a stop a foot away from her, his focus switching between her and Demyx.

"Xigbar." She replied evenly, unfurling from the chair and standing up to meet Saïx's gaze better. Of course, Hexerath still had to look up at him, seeing as the top of her head barely reached his shoulders. "After showing me the Castle's layout, and testing my fighting capabilities, he left me in Demyx's care... to learn more about my allies."

His amber eyes narrowed in deliberation and she met his scrutiny plainly. From what Hexerath knew of Xigbar's mannerisms, he would likely confirm her story, either to avoid getting into trouble for shirking his own responsibilities, or he'd agree just to agitate Saïx. She suspected that the latter option would hold more appeal to the one-eyed Nobody.

"I will verify your statement with Number II. Should he say otherwise, you will both be assigned Heartless duty for a week alongside your allotted missions." The low groan that came from Demyx told her that this was a punishment he'd already familiar with.

"Understood." Hexerath replied. Heartless duty sounded straightforward enough to guess at.

"Boy, are my ears burning." Xigbar's sudden teasing tone broke the tension. He sounded close, but he hadn't entered the Grey Area from the hallway and a glance around the room showed he hadn't appeared behind her via Corridor. Deductive reasoning led Hexerath to looking up, and there the Freeshooter was, hovering a few feet above them while upside-down. He smirked at them, as if he wasn't casually defying the laws of physics. Somehow, his ponytail wasn't hanging downwards and his coat didn't fan out around him—he looked completely unaffected by gravity, appearing as he would if he were standing right-side up.

That was actually… a little irritating. Maybe it was because Gravity was her attribute now, but it almost felt like he was rubbing his abilities in her face. He wore an overly smug smirk too. Like he knew he was annoying her and was thoroughly enjoying it. Considering his personality, and the fact that he'd tried tripping her earlier, getting a rise out of her seemed to be exactly what Xigbar was aiming for.

"You know, there's no need to get so emotional." The Freeshooter continued. His blasé barb, managing to sound both belittling and snide, was clearly intended for the Lunar Diviner.

Now, Saïx was well-known for his cold temperament, only showing feelings in moments that never lasted long. Arguments could be made that he'd experienced bouts of jealousy throughout 358/2 Days. Rage and anger would burst forth whenever he entered his Berserker mode. Finally, he had voiced his despair when he fading away in Kingdom Hearts II, forlornly asking after his own heart. So, it was understandably a little disconcerting to be just a few feet away from a livid looking Saïx.

The glare he'd been wearing before couldn't compare to the scowl that formed in the wake of Xigbar's taunt. Hexerath was positive the man's left eyebrow had even twitched a little. There was a small sound, a creaking scrunch, and she realized that Saïx was clenching his fists so tightly his gloves were groaning in protest. Perhaps the biggest tell that Number VII was angry, was the yellow glow that had begun to take over his amber eyes.

Hexerath wisely took a step to the side, deliberately putting the armchair in-between them.

Saïx was a complicated character. As a Somebody, she had felt rather indifferent towards him in Kingdom Hearts II. In 358/2 Days, she'd grown to dislike him, hating how he treated Xion and used Axel to do his dirty work. The reveal that they were best friends before becoming Nobodies hadn't left much of an impression. They certainly hadn't acted that way. Birth by Sleep had been an eye-opening look into their pasts. There, Heather had honestly believed that Isa and Lea were best friends. It had made their deteriorated friendship more impactful, and had eventually made her feel lenient towards the man's actions.

She would grant that indulgence towards him now.

"...Your implication is impossible." Hexerath stated flatly. Self-preservation had her keeping an eye on Saïx, even as she directed most of her attention to Xigbar. "We are Nobodies, we cannot feel." The declaration seemed to be exactly what Number VII needed to hear. His aggression eased significantly as his scowl was composed back into blank austerity. "Oh, you meant that ironically." She finished belatedly, acting as if she'd misinterpreted.

From above the Freeshooter scoffed, shooting a disgruntled look her way before vanishing. Hexerath only startled a little as Xigbar suddenly appeared behind her. Demyx on the other hand, gave a high-pitched yelp, practically falling off the couch with flailing limbs as his sitar disappeared with a flash of light and… bubbles? Yes, she saw that right. The hundreds of transparent, multi-sized bubbles popped out existence just as quickly as they appeared.

"Number II." Saïx intoned, back to his usual curtness. "Is what Number XIII claims, true?"

"Yep." Xigbar confirmed, emphasizing the 'p' sound. "I showed slugger here most of the Castle, and then we had ourselves a little training session. She made the grade." His hand dropped down onto her head, ruffling it. The action didn't ruin her braid, but he somehow managed to make her bangs look even more wilder than normal. "She could be a decent fighter someday." He stopped messing with her hair, thankfully, and settled his hands on his hips as he aimed a grin at Saïx. "With a lot of time and work."

"Stop it, please, your making me blush." The sarcastic comment slipped from her mouth without any consideration. It was something her Somebody would've said. Judging by Demyx's snickering, and the fact that her tone was so dry, she had ended up sounding genuinely funny.

"Ha!" Xigbar's short laugh sounded sincere. There was a surprised expression on his face, and he seemed a little pleased too. "Looks like there's hope for you yet."

Saïx was suitably unimpressed.

"Number II," Hexerath noted that she'd yet to hear the Lunar Diviner address them as anything other than their ranks. "it's not acceptable to let Number XIII grow idle." His amber gaze landed on Demyx, who immediately curled in on himself. "Nor is it wise to leave her in the company of our more _lacking_ members. We wouldn't want any poor habits to be imprinted upon her." He stressed the word lacking as he narrowed his eyes at the Melodious Nocturne. It was no secret that Saïx disliked Demyx for his lazy nature.

"Well, if I recall right, Xemnas put the rookie in my care, didn't he?" The Freeshooter shrugged, earning himself another, more controlled glare from Saïx. "If you don't like how I'm training her, then reassign her to someone else." Understanding dawned upon Hexerath likely at the same moment it did Saïx. Xigbar had just given him a cleverly disguised ultimatum. Either take her off his hands, or he'd train her however he wanted. Since doing the former would be an admission of defeat, Saïx peered down at her with a frown firmly locked into place.

"Then you had best teach her well. Any subpar performances on future missions will be on your head." The threat was obvious, but Xigbar was far from intimidated.

"Heh, sure. Whatever you say." Dismissive, that was the only way Hexerath could describe his attitude, and she could tell it rankled the blue-haired Nobody. Saïx turned towards Demyx, who unluckily became the recipient of that ire.

"As for you, Number IX, I trust that your presence here means you've already accomplished your mission?"

"Eh?! O-oh, yeah, of course!" The stammered response was clearly a lie. Demyx displayed all the tells of somebody who was fibbing—unable to make eye contact, a wavering tone, the shifting guilty demeanor. How could someone without a heart be so terrible at deceit? "I recon'd that world just like you wanted. It's, er, an interesting place that's for sure."

"Then you should have no problem writing a report on your findings. Nor should you have any reason not to turn it in tomorrow morning." Though he didn't sound it, there was something… ominous about the way Saïx delivered that sentence. "I expect you'll go into detail about why it was so interesting."

"Uh, s-sure…" The dirty-blonde muttered, looking much paler than he had a few minutes ago. With that, Saïx marched towards the exit, but paused at the threshold.

"And Demyx, if your report does not match what Zexion sees tomorrow, you will suffer a punishment much worse than Heartless duty." He did not turn around as he delivered his threat, merely continuing onwards. It was silent for a moment.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" Demyx moaned as he buried his face into his hands. "I'm so dead!"

"Looks like it, rock star." Xigbar snickered, obviously enjoying his ally's predicament.

"They're gonna turn me into a Dusk this time for sure! I just know it!" The sitarist continued to whine.

Hexerath's brows furrowed. Was that a legitimate thing? She knew Axel had claimed that Xemnas would turn him into a Dusk a few times throughout Kingdom Hearts II, but she'd never given it much thought. Could the Superior actually do that though? Could he turn her into a Dusk once she cut ties with the Organization? Because there was no if, only a question of when. Eventually she would leave this place, and hopefully align herself with Sora. Hexerath had no intention to make an enemy out of the main character.

"Let's be honest here, becoming a Dusk wouldn't be much of a difference in your case." Demyx's head shot upwards and gawked at Xigbar with wide terrified eyes.

"Hey! That's not–"

"I mean, it'd be a lot quieter around here, so that's a plus." The Freeshooter interrupted as he crossed his arms over his chest, offering a mocking grin. "And you'd actually complete your assignments. Huh, I'm not seeing any downsides here."

"Now you're just being mean, Xiggy." The dirty-blonde Nobody slumped forwards, elbows braced against his knees as he pouted at the older man.

"…What world were you supposed to investigate?" Hexerath asked emotionlessly while staring at the men in front of her. Their back and forth was vaguely entertaining, but she could easily solve the musician's problem. There was no world in the games she didn't know. And if by chance, it turned out to be a non-Canon world—well, she'd been a Disney fanatic as a Somebody.

"Huh?" The Melodious Nocturne blinked at her in surprise, as though he'd forgotten she was there. With how distracted he could get, and how quiet she had become, it was more than plausible. "Oh! Let's see, it's in here somewhere." He leaned back and stuck his hands in his coat pockets, before pulling out a white note card. "Aha, here it is! Um, it's a place called… Beast's Castle?" Hexerath nodded slowly as she thought.

She knew Belle was taken near the end of the first game, her world lost to the Heartless. So, depending on the timeline, Beast's Castle could be consumed by Darkness sooner rather than later. Such a fact should weigh more heavily than it did, but logic pointed out that, although it's destruction was unfortunate, Beast's Castle would be restored without any adverse side effects once Sora defeated Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. No point in mustering up any feigning emotions over something that would eventually be resolved.

"...I know that world."

"You do?!" Demyx shouted, appearing both relieved and happy. "Oh man, if you help me with this report, I promise to pay you back somehow!" She shrugged, or at least attempted to. The motion felt unnatural, and her muscles still ached somewhat. "This is great! You are so awesome, Hexerath!"

"Well, look at you." A heavy hand landing on her tender shoulder had her lips twitching into a grimace. "Making friends and enemies on your first day. I'm so proud."

"Enemies?" Did he mean Saïx? Hadn't she just spoken up in his defense against Xigbar's taunting?

"Oh yeah, that little standoff you had with X-face was a nice challenge of his authority." The Freeshooter explained with an approving nod. "If there's anything he hates more than slacking off, it's disrespect."

"…That was not my intention." She admitted lowly. The Lunar Diviner was most certainly not someone she could afford to aggravate. Her mentor raised his arms in a 'what can you do' gesture while grinning at her sharply. She had no doubt he found the whole thing to be humorous.

"Too bad for you, Saïx is the type to hold a grudge." Yes, she knew that. For someone who strived to be so emotionless, he really could be quite sensitive. "Anyways, there was a reason I showed up. Vexen's gotta give you a look over. Make sure you're in tip-top shape and all that."

"Ugh." Demyx groaned as he returned to his spot on the couch. "I don't envy you. His checkups are the worst!"

"This is a medical examination?" Hexerath asked while tilting her head and the musician nodded.

"Yeah, but Vexen's not, uh, well he's–"

"The guy's more likely to treat you like a science experiment than a patient." Xigbar provided bluntly with another mean grin. Again, this was something she already knew. "C'mon. I don't want to hear his ranting about being late." As he headed towards the hallway, she turned back to Demyx, who had re-summoned his sitar.

"…We can work on your report after dinner." He beamed at her and the corners of her lips instinctively twitched upwards for a second.

"Thanks, Hexerath. You really are the best!"

* * *

Surprisingly, the way to Vexen's lab was not what she'd been expecting. Instead of taking unfamiliar hallways, or a spiraling staircase that led to a foreboding basement, Xigbar took them back to the Proof of Existence. The Freeshooter wasted no time on small talk as he headed for the fourth marker in the room. Hexerath followed him through it and only paused once she stepped into the new domain.

"Welcome to the Voided Laboratory, minx." Xigbar announced as he gestured towards the spacious room. It frankly looked like how anyone would imagine a mad scientist's lab to be. White and various shades of grey colored the room, like the rest of the Castle, but this was the most technologically inclined room she'd seen so far. Futuristic computers, not unlike the ones DiZ used in Kingdom Hearts II, were spaced throughout the large room. Behind them, a small set of stairs led to a raised platform where a white desk sat in the middle, cluttered with books and papers. A matching white chair was tucked into the desk and surrounded by three fully stocked bookcases. In the overall center of the room, and a handful of feet from where they stood, was a metal examination table with a cart displaying numerous medical tools nearby.

Along the back wall of the Laboratory was a row of… pods? There were six in all, with large cylindrical glass tanks—the kind people were stuffed into in sci-fi movies.

"Ah, there you two are." A somewhat oily voice announced. Hexerath's eyes darted from the pods towards Vexen, who was bent over at a lab station located to their right. He was clearly working on an experiment; there were flasks and vials filled with bubbling liquids hanging over a few burners. The Chilly Academic straightened out, although there was a slight hunch to his posture, but that could be because he towered over most people. He was taller than Xigbar by several inches, easily standing over six feet, and it made Hexerath acutely aware of just how short she was in comparison. "I am on a bit of a timetable, so let's get this over with quickly."

"Whatever you say." Xigbar remarked while shrugging as he stepped aside to let Vexen pass. The Chilly Academic did so, but only to stop in front of Hexerath, who had to crane her head upwards to make eye contact. Like everyone else, Vexen matched how he'd looked in the games, though the his appearance was much more detailed. Despite his height, he had a rather gaunt appearance. His cheekbones were sharper than any she'd seen so far, giving his face a semi-sculpted look. His chin was longer and jutted out a little, while his long nose complimented his more severe features. His mouth was just a tad too wide and she imagined his smiles would be mildly unnerving. His long blonde hair looked dull, both in style and color, when compared to Demyx's. His eyes were a dark, murky green—olive—and they studied her unblinkingly.

"The specimen looks to be underdeveloped." Vexen muttered, seemingly unaware, or more than likely not caring, that he was his criticizing her out loud.

"Are you calling me short?" Hexerath was surprised to hear a bit of sentiment in her tone. It wasn't outright irritation, but it was the closest she'd gotten to emoting since losing her heart. She shouldn't be surprised that a dig on her height would get a real reaction. She'd always been picked on because of it. Always the shortest kid in class, the shortest member of her family. Needless to say, she'd developed a Napoleon complex over the years. In response to her terseness, Vexen merely raised an eyebrow.

"How old are you? How much do you weigh?" He asked as he passed her, motioning over his shoulder for her to follow. Predictably, their destination was the examination table.

"I'm 24." Hexerath answered. Xigbar made a muffled noise behind her, but she didn't turn to see what expression he was making. Not with Vexen looming over her. She'd always viewed the scientist as the Kingdom Hearts' version of Hojo from Final Fantasy VII. "The last time I checked, I weighed 96 pounds." Number IV hummed as he withdrew a clipboard from the nearby cart and wrote the information down.

"And your height?"

"…5-foot-2." She answered somewhat reluctantly. Her new heeled boots made her an inch taller. This time Hexerath could her a distinctive chuckle come from Xigbar's corner and she felt her face morph into a glare.

"Hmm. Divest your coat and sit down." He gestured to the metal examination table as he moved towards his desk. She wordlessly removed her coat, folded it and set it on the exam table. After a second's hesitation, she pulled off her gloves as well and placed them on top of her coat. "You've already seen Number XIII's abilities, yes?" This query was directed at Xigbar, who was slouched against a wall. "What is her attribute? Her weapons?"

"You know you can just ask her, right?" Xigbar remarked irately while Hexerath hopped up onto the table and kept a wary eye on Vexen. "Don't see why I have to be here." The Freeshooter continued to grumble and the Chilly Academic shot him a frown.

"Contrary to your beliefs Xigbar, I too wish your presence was unnecessary." The flaxen haired Nobody gave a haughty sniff. "However, you are the only member who has seen Number XIII fight, thus you're the only one capable of giving credence to her skills."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." The Freeshooter mumbled before yawning. "Her element is Gravity and her weapons are a pair of spiked knuckles."

"Interesting…" Vexen muttered to himself as he approached Hexerath with a clipboard in hand. The scientist set it down on the cart, his olive eyes scrutinizing her once again. He grabbed her right arm without any forewarning, and methodically ran his hands down the bare limb while squeezing it intermittently. She got a secondhand sense that she should be… uncomfortable. "Flex." She obeyed the command and he prodded the small muscles there before dropping her arms to retrieve his clipboard. "The lack of defined muscle mass suggests the subject is deficient in both fighting prowess, and consequently, physical fitness as well." He glanced at Xigbar from over his shoulder. "How did she perform in battle?"

"Against some Shadows and Soldiers? She won, but was tired afterwards. Against me?" He shrugged while smirking. "Our fight lasted roughly seven minutes. She ran for about five of those at a fairly decent pace."

"Yes, from her build I suspect she'll be a speed oriented fighter like Larxene and yourself. Anything else?"

"Eh, she might have a talent for acrobatics." He offered indifferently and Vexen nodded as he made a note to whatever he was writing. Hexerath furrowed her brow—where did Xigbar get that idea from? The only 'acrobatic' stunt she pulled off was a wobbly cartwheel.

"Lithe and quick. Perhaps an agility focused combatant then? That would be interesting, given her choice of weapons." The Chilly Academic seemed to have a habit of either thinking aloud or talking to himself. "Summon your weapon." Hexerath did so, the familiar sequence of black and purple energy enveloping her hands, while tiny white lights twinkled throughout the darkness. It faded as the grips of her spiked knuckles pressed into her palms and fingers, engulfing her knuckles in a familiar embrace. She held her hands up so that Vexen could get a good look at her weapons. "Hmm, definitely a close-range fighter. Do they have a name yet?"

"Knuckledusters." She answered and he, presumably, wrote it down.

"Do they have any special capabilities?" Hexerath tilted her head.

"…If they do, I haven't discovered them yet."

"And Xigbar claims your attribute is Gravity, yes?" She shrugged and felt like the action was overexaggerated.

"I suppose. Gravity and Magnet were the only spells I could perform after…" She paused, wondering if dying was an appropriate term for what had happened to her. She still lived after all, if only in a different form. "...becoming a Nobody."

"Strange that you use their proper names." He uttered while studying her. "In the beginning, most members who didn't have experience in the mystic arts invoked the spells tied to their attributes without knowing their proper names. Do you have previous training in magic?" Hexerath slowly shook her head, quickly thinking up an excuse for how she knew something she shouldn't.

"…I learnt about magic as a child, but I couldn't perform even the simplest spell." Technically, that wasn't even a lie. Although, now that Vexen had pointed it out, the first time she'd used Gravity she hadn't called out its name or physically done anything special. She just did it. It had felt like stretching a phantom muscle she'd never noticed before.

"Fascinating." He stated while staring at her. Hexerath would've described his passing glances so far as clinical, detached. Now there was more curiosity in his scrutiny. She wasn't sure if that was a positive change or not. "And you can use Magnet as well? Curious. Despite appearances, Magnet is not a subset of Gravity, it draws on the magnetic field of its targets. That argument has been made more in depth for Zero Gravity."

"…I know that when Magnet is generally used it creates a vortex that pulls in enemies, dealing continuous damage. However, when I use the spell, it outlines my targets in a purple light and simply drags them towards me. Why the difference?" Vexen brought a hand up to his chin in thought.

"If that's the case, then you aren't using Magnet at all. That must be the true manifestation of your attribute." Hexerath did her best to make a confused expression. She's not sure if she succeeded, but Vexen was already continuing anyways. "As I said before, many members wielded their attributes without realizing they were using the proper spells. But we also have a more singular ability—one that can't be taught. Take your mentor as an example." Vexen nodded at Xigbar, who made a face. "His attribute is Space, which essentially means he has an affinity for the Warp spell. Now, we know Warp is the ability to teleport oneself over varying distances. However, Number II can also manipulate the trajectory of his attacks, thus redirecting his bullets from impossible angles. Likewise, he can redirect the attacks of others, and he even has absolute control over the space he's occupying. Therefore, we can deduce that the technique you'd mistaken assumed to be Magnet, is in fact just your manifestation of Gravity."

"Wanna try that again in English, egghead?" The Freeshooter mocked. Hexerath couldn't blame the man. Since losing her heart, she'd begun to use a wordier vocabulary, but even she had gotten a little lost in the Chilly Academic's convoluted explanation. She had understood that last part well enough however.

"…Basically, I've wrongly been calling one of my abilities Magnet. Magnet is not even part of my attribute."

"Precisely." Vexen agreed and Xigbar made a face.

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" Number IV aimed a glare at the Freeshooter.

"I did! It's not my fault you lack the aptitude to comprehend my clarification." The flaxen haired Nobody growled, sounding frustrated. "Honestly, my intelligence is underappreciated."

"My heart goes out to you." Xigbar quipped sarcastically. "Are ya done yet? I'm not missing dinner again this week."

"I've one last question, for now." The scientist answered before turning back to Hexerath. "Have you activated your Limit Break? Is so, please describe it for me."

"It… sort of creates an area of effect." She began slowly. "I've yet to discover its borders, but a rift forms above, looking not unlike a hole leading directly to space. It negates gravity–"

"Like Zero Gravity? Hmm, it's entirely possible that Zero Gravity could fall under your attribute."

"Shouldn't I have instinctively known how to use that spell then?" She asked and Vexen shook his head.

"Not necessarily. Another member, Luxord, has Time as his attribute. At first the only magic he knew was Stop, but he eventually discovered he had an affinity for Haste too." Hexerath stored that information away for later and continued her explanation.

"My opponent, and anything not bolted down, is launched several feet into the air, left to levitate idly. I become engulfed in purple energy, which lets me move however I wish. I can soar through the air, stay on the ground—" She paused and looked at Xigbar, a sudden thought occurring to her. "I could even hang upside-down in I wanted too." He gave a scoffing laugh and she turned back to Vexen. "With my maneuverability, I can normally pick off my enemies easily. At the same time, multiple stars fall from the rift and unto the battlefield to deal extra damage. I can control their trajectory, but doing so takes a great deal of concentration. So much so, that I'm physically unable to engage my opponents and direct the stars at the same time. If I let them be, they'll fall at random and I am in just as much danger as my targets. My Limit Break ends by rising up to the rift, where I absorb the light from the stars within. Enshrouded in that light and power, I dive at my enemies to unleash one last blow."

"That sounds similar to Lexaeus' Final Limit." The Chilly Academic said and Hexerath tilted her head. What was a Final Limit? By it's name, she assumed it had some correlation to Limit Break.

"Yeah, but with less pillars of rocks trying to tear you apart." Xigbar commented with a chortle.

"Hmm, not what I was expecting. Though I suppose…" Vexen mumbled inaudibly to himself for a moment before his voice rose again. "Yes, yes that does fit! Gravity is known as the "power of the stars" after all." The man quickly became excited. "How big are these "stars"? What do they manifest as exactly? How many foes can your Limit Break effect? Can your enemies control their movements when caught in your attack?" She once again felt uncomfortable as his gaze focused on her intensely.

"…The stars look like balls of white light. And they can vary from around the size of my fist to about the size of my head. I've had seven Soldiers and six Shadows at once caught in my attack. As for movement, my enemies can block or knock aside the approaching stars." She cast a glance at the one-eyed Nobody. "Xigbar effectively redirected them towards me, however he just as easily Warped to avoid most of my attacks."

"So foes with flight or teleportation would have an advantage." Vexen surmised and she nodded. "And? Have you named your Limit Break?"

"Supernova." He made a note of it on his clipboard.

"This is all very intriguing and requires further study." Without looking up, he flicked his wrist and summoned his marker. "I'm finished for now, but I would like to observe Number XIII in battle by the end of the week." He fleetingly looked down at her. "I look forward to seeing what you will contribute to the Organization." Hexerath wasn't surprised to find that she didn't want to see Vexen again so soon.

"Ugh, finally." The one-eyed Nobody sighed. "Let's go bright eyes." She hopped down from the table, grabbing her things as she followed Xigbar to the exit. "See ya around, egghead." He said in farewell while Vexen harrumphed in response. Arriving in the Proof of Existence, Hexerath slipped on her coat and gloves as Xigbar stretched his arms over his head. "Man, whenever I spend time around that guy, I always end up feeling restless. Boring with a capital B, am I right?" Hexerath hummed noncommittally.

"I suppose so. Right now, I'm indifferent towards Vexen, but I would've found him… creepy as a Somebody."

"Heh, I hear that." He chuckled before tucking his hands in his pockets. "C'mon short stuff, it's dinner time."

"Don't call me that." She replied automatically, going so far as to adding genuine irritation in her tone. Xigbar blinked down at her in surprise before smirking.

"As if. That's the first non-robotic response I've gotten out of you. Who knew you had such a _short_ fuse when it came to your height?" Her eyebrow twitched as he emphasized the word short.

"You're not funny."

"Please, I'm hilarious. You just have a hard time seeing it from your point of view. Speaking of, how do things look from down there?" Hexerath didn't mean to do it. There was no active thought provoking the motion. Yet still her arm shot out, landing a solid punch in Xigbar's stomach. "Omph!" The grunt that left the Nobody wasn't loud or sounded especially pained, but the younger Nobody froze as what she did registered in her mind.

"...I'm sorry." The apology fell flat as her fist hung in the air, and she blinked at the slightly hunched over man. "I didn't mean to do that. It was instinctive." Surprisingly, Xigbar chuckled as he glanced at her, although the unidentifiable gleam in his eye made her wary.

"Are you telling me it's a reflex to hit people who make fun of your height?" He asked, sounding happy for some reason.

"I told you I was impetuous." She shrugged as she reeled her fist in and stared at it. "When I was a kid, bullies seemed to think the smaller you were, the easier the target. I got a little better at restraining my temper over the years—sort of. Eventually, my first reaction wasn't to hit someone, but to insult them back. I'm surprised I hit you instead of making a retort." She narrowed her eyes, the action hidden behind her bangs. "I suppose that means you're particularly aggravating."

"Hmph, you know what, slugger?" She glanced up at the Freeshooter to see him smirking mischievously. "You might just be interesting after all."

* * *

Axel bit back a groan as he entered the kitchen, wanting nothing more than to go straight to bed after today's mission. It had dragged on for hours.

The world he'd been sent to, Twilight Town, had been a pain to navigate through because he'd had to take his time to avoid being spotted. Then there were the numerous areas he had to investigate. There'd been the sandlot and tram routes to map out. A crowded residential distract, one of which led uphill to a marketplace, with a train station-slash-clocktower at the top of the hill. A forest with an abandoned mansion, which by the way, he had discovered only after traversing through the underground conduits littered with trash. After all that, he had to go back an take a closer look at the local shops, make a list of the items they had, and give it to the Nobody Moogle, who was looking for new distributors to trade with.

Even with all that, there were still plenty of areas in the world that he hadn't had the chance to scope out. While he'd taken a quick look at the train station, he didn't explore the entirety of the clocktower, and there was also that shuttered tunnel of some kind in the station plaza. Located beyond the train station was an enclosed stadium, which apparently held public events, like concerts, and was home to something called "Struggle". If he heard the local chatter right, there was a second residential district called Sunset Terrace, and a beach that a group of kids kept jabbering on about. He made a note of these places, citing that they were still relatively unknown, and hoped that the next reconnaissance mission of Twilight Town would be assigned to Demyx.

Withholding a yawn, the redhead saw that several members were already sitting at the table, with the Superior at the head. Xemnas only ever ate with the Organization when a new member joined them. This was the reason why Axel's presence at dinner was mandatory tonight. Besides Xemnas, Vexen was almost always absent too, with Xaldin's appearances being nearly as sporadic. Everyone else's presence varied depending on their moods or missions.

The only ones not present was Xigbar and Number XIII. The redhead frowned a little. He wouldn't put it past the Freeshooter to arrive last, either for a dramatic entrance, or out of the sheer enjoyment in making everyone else wait. Taking his seat across from Demyx, which was between Zexion and Luxord, Axel glanced at Saïx, unsurprised at the scowl marring his friend's face. No doubt the Lunar Diviner was irritated over the Freeshooter's lateness.

Axel resisted the urge to sprawl himself out along the table's surface, knowing that it would only earn him Saïx's disapproval and a discreet kick to the shins. He didn't quite manage to keep his posture all that straight though. He was partially slumped over in his chair, his head purposefully tilted towards the ceiling to avoid Saïx's glaring. He let his attention drift, his thoughts somehow winding up on their newest member.

He'd gotten a decent glance of her this morning. Ash-brown hair, boasting spikey bangs, with the rest of her hair pulled into a long braid. And she was short—very short. It had kind of taken him aback, seeing how much smaller she was compared to them up close. Next to Xigbar, she'd been almost a head shorter, making her look like a kid. Hell, for all he knew, she _was_ a kid. He hoped not. Axel really didn't want to share living space with a teenage girl. His musings ended on her eyes. The same ones that has seemed to pop into his head at random all day.

He'd always told Isa that red was the best color, and her eyes only continued to prove that he was right.

Finally, just as Demyx began to fidget, liking itching to play his sitar, a Corridor of Darkness appeared some few feet away from the table. In true fashion, Xigbar waltzed out of it, grinning broadly as his eye swept up and down the table. The newbie, Number XIII, was only a couple steps behind him, her face still and unexpressive.

"See, I told you we'd get here with plenty of time to spare." Xigbar announced, obviously enjoying the few glares sent his way by their more mercurial members. Larxene in particular looked to be a second away from chucking one of her daggers at the man. "You worry too much."

"…I wasn't worried at all." Number XIII said flatly while she stared straight ahead rather than looking at the Freeshooter. "If we were late, it would be you who got into trouble, not me."

"Heh, as if." He poked at the side of the girl's head and her crimson eyes narrowed a fraction. "I take back what I said earlier. You're no fun at all, short stuff." Axel blinked in surprise as her arm suddenly swung out to hit Xigbar, who jumped back just in time to avoid it. "Aha, now we're talking! I like that glare! Those eyes of yours make it something fierce!"

"Number II, Number XIII." The Superior's voice had the new girl freezing in place for a moment before she quickly lowered her arm, her gaze honing in on Xemnas.

"Right, right. Family dinner time." Xigbar remarked with a wave of his hand. He took the newbie by her shoulders and pushed her towards the thirteenth seat across from Larxene and next to Marluxia. "This one is yours, just in case you couldn't figure it out." Before she could muster a response at his patronizing words, Xigbar Warped to his chair and smiled back at her. "Well, c'mon, sit! You're holding everybody up."

Without so much as a glare in the Freeshooter's direction, she pulled out her chair and sat down, the entire process looking far too mechanical. Her gaze traveled over the others, where Axel matched her stare once it landed on him briefly, before she continued up to Xemnas. He followed her example, as did the rest of the members, and once everyone's attention was focused on their leader, the man smiled slightly before nodding at the awaiting Dusks to serve the food.

That night's dinner, like they always did when Xemnas was present, progressed in total silence. Axel was only too happy to collapse into his bed when they were finally dismissed. His last drowsy thoughts, for whatever reason, chose to linger on the memory of red eyes before succumbing to sleep.

* * *

_Organization XIII Excerpt No. III: New Girl_

_A new Nobody officially joined the Organization today_ — _lucky Number XIII, Hexerath. She's young and doesn't look too tough either. Not sure how much help she'll be on missions, but maybe her strengths lie more in support, like doing recon or research. Whatever the case, I doubt I'll be interacting with her much._

**_–Axel_ **

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have to ask if you guys have noticed the things I've done to show just how emotionless Hexerath is. (Though I'm trying to slowly bring her out of it.) She has a very analytical thought process and utilizes more sophisticated words than she would normally use. I also imagine that she speaks slower, her volume being just a few notches above a mumble. That's why there are so many ellipses when she speaks, because she's taking everything in around her and thinking how she should react. This will change when she starts to act like her former self, who was a bit of a joker, loud, and often ran her mouth without thinking.
> 
> The reason for why Hexerath is so apathetic, is because she spent 10 days in the Realm of Darkness. I like to imagine, that once Hexerath had started to "feel" things again, for lack of a better word, she subconsciously repressed those echoes of emotions because they would've been no help to her. Emotions like dread wouldn't assist her much in ways of surviving, and happiness was not something she would've felt while trapped in a place teeming with Heartless.
> 
> Xigbar talked briefly about a "transitionary period" that all Organization members went through in the last chapter. I imagine that it's similar to how Roxas and Xion first acted, though not to the same degree as they still had memories of being Somebodies. Their zombie-like behavior probably lasts a few days before they conformed to their old personalities. Hexerath is taking a little longer to make that transition, but she will get there sooner rather than later. Keeping up her logical demeanor is hard as fuck.
> 
> –Hexalys


End file.
